Il> 


t 


J 


RUGS-ORIENTAL   AND 
OCCIDENTAL 


1 


RUGS 

ORIENTAL  AND  OCCIDENTAL 
ANTIQUE.AND  MODER^L 

Ready    Ref^erence 

ROSA  BELLE  HOLT 


CHICAGO 

JA-C7<l?Qur^&€o- 
igoi 


Copyright 

A.  C.  McClurc  &  Co. 

1901 


LANDSCAPE 
ARCHITECTURE 


GIFT 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction xv-xvi 

Section  I.       History  and  Details  of  Rug- Weaving        i 
Section  II.      Rug- Weaving  in  Egypt,  Persia,  and 

Turkey 35 

Section  III.  Rug- Weaving  in  India,  Afghanistan, 
Beluchistan,  Turkoman,  and  Cau- 
casus   61 

Section  IV.    Polish    and    Miscellaneous    Oriental 

Rugs 83 

Section  V.      Rug- Weaving  in  the  Occident,  Great 

Britain,  and  the  United  States       .    loi 
Section  VI.    Miscellaneous  Information    .       .       .118 

Bibliography 149 

Index 153 


Hi 

/90/ 


578 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Plate 

I. 

Plate 

IL 

Plate  III. 

Plate 

IV. 

Plate  V. 

Plate 

VL 

Plate  VII. 

Plate  VIII. 

Plate 

IX. 

Plate 

X. 

Plate  XI. 

Plate 

XII. 

Plate 

XIII. 

Plate 

XIV. 

Plate  XV. 

Plate  XVI. 

Plate 

XVII. 

Plate 

XVIII 

Plate  XIX. 

Plate  XX. 

PAGE 

Antique  Tabriz       .       .       .   Frontispiece 

Soumak 12 

Shiraz 16 

Kazak 20 

Camel  Hair  Mat  from  Hamadan  24 

Old  Persian 28 

Sarakhs 32 

Samarkand 38 

Sinna          42 

Khorassan 46 

Old  Ghiordes  Prayer  Rug        .       .  50 

Khilim 54 

Arabian 58 

Indian  Prayer  Rug       ....  64 

Afghanistan 70 

Tekke  Turkoman  .....  74 

Daghestan 78 

Old  Persian  Silk  Rug         ...  86 

Antique  Chinese  Wool  Rug    .       .  90 

Old  Kirman 94 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 

Plate  XXI.         Derbent loo 

Plate  XXII.        Old  Anatolian  Prayer  Rug    .       .  104 

Plate  XXIII.      Feraghan 108 

Plate  XXIV.      Navajo  Blanket 114 

Plate  XXV.        Turkish  Loom  and  Weavers        .  122 
Plate  XXVI.      Vats  for  Washing  and  Dyeing 

Wool 128 

Plate  XXVII.     Indian  Loom  and  Weavers    .       .  132 

Plate  XXVIII.  Map 136 

Plate  XXIX.      Indian  Rug  Designers     .       .       .  140 

Plate  XXX.        Wool  Drying  after  Dyeing   .       .  144 

Plate  XXXI.      Rugs  being  Transported        .       .  148 


INTRODUCTION 


WHILE  there  is  a  singular  lack  of  books  in  the 
English  language  treating  directly  of  Rugs, — a  theme 
which  is  so  intensely  interesting  to  buyers, — it  is  note- 
worthy that  under  the  category  of  Oriental  Carpets 
are  to  be  found  a  few  volumes  of  interest.  These, 
however,  are  too  rare  and  expensive  for  the  general 
reader.  For  this  reason  I  have  undertaken  to  present 
in  a  concise  form  certain  facts  that  may  enable  a 
novice  to  appreciate  the  beauty  and  interest  attaching 
to  rugs,  and  assist  a  prospective  purchaser  in  judging 
of  the  merits  of  any  particular  rug  he  may  desire  to 
possess. 

For  much  valuable  information  on  the  subject  I 
am  indebted  to  publications  which  are  referred  to  in 
my  Bibliography,  to  correspondence  with  Ministers 
to  Oriental  countries  and  Consuls  residing  therein, 
to  interviews  with  rug  dealers  in  various  cities,  and 
to  certain  learned  Americans,  Armenians,  Greeks, 
Syrians  and  Turks.  It  has  also  been  my  good  fortune 
to  be  intrusted,   for  purposes  of   description  and   re- 


Introduction 

production,  with  many  beautiful  and  rare  rugs,  from 
owners  who  cherish  them  as  treasures.  These  true 
rug-lovers  have  generously  contributed  to  whatever 
there  may  be  of  interest  in  this  book. 

R.  B.  H. 
New  York  City, 

August  I,  I  go  I. 


I 


HISTORY    AND    DETAILS    OF 
RUG-WEAVING 


X 


THE   HISTORY  AND    DETAILS  OF 
RUG-WEAVING 


The  History 

TN  the  house  beautiful,  rugs  impart  richness  and 
■*■  represent  refinement.  Their  manufacture  was  one 
of  the  earliest  incentives  for  the  blending  of  colors 
in  such  harmony  as  to  please  the  eye  and  satisfy  the 
mind  ;  consequently,  it  is  one  of  the  most  important 
of  the  industrial  arts.  Since  the  days  when  ancient 
peoples  first  lay  down  to  sleep  wrapped  in  the  skins  of 
animals,  the  human  intelligence  has  quickened,  and  as 
the  race  has  become  more  civilized,  rugs  have  gradually 
taken  the  place  of  skins.  Thus  began  the  industry  of 
rug-weaving,  and  it  has  grown  to  such  an  extent  that  it 
is  now  of  world-wide  importance. 

The  word  Rug  is  used  in  this  volume  in  the  follow- 
ing sense  :  "A  covering  for  the  floor  ;  a  mat,  usually 
oblong  or  square,  and  woven  in  one  piece.  Rugs, 
especially  those   of    Oriental    make,    often   show   rich 


4  Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

designs  and  elaborate  workmanship,  and  are  hence 
sometimes  used  for  hangings."  In  several  books  rugs 
and  carpets  are  referred  to  as  identical.  In  fact  most 
written  information  on  rugs  has  been  catalogued 
under  the  term  carpets;  and  there  seems  to  be  good 
reason  for  assuming  that  the  terms  tapestries  and 
carpets,  as  used  in  ancient  times,  were  synonymous 
with  the  word  rugs  of  the  present  day,  for  these 
were  spread  loosely  on  the  floor  without  the  aid  of 
fastenings. 

Historical  references  to  spinning  and  to  the 
weaving  of  tapestries  date  back  to  a  very  early  period. 
An  ancient  Jewish  legend  states  that  Naamah,  daughter 
of  Lamech  and  sister  of  Tubal-Cain,  was  the  inventor 
of  the  spinning  of  wool,  and  of  the  weaving  of  thread 
into  cloth. 

On  at  least  two  of  the  wonderful  rock-cut  tombs 
of  Beni-Hassan,  in  Egypt, — b.  c.  2800-2600, — there 
are  pictures  of  weavers  at  work.  In  one,  women 
are  filling  a  distaff  with  cotton,  twisting  it  with  a 
spindle  into  thread,  and  weaving  this  on  an  upright 
loom.  Beside  them  is  a  man,  evidently  an  overseer, 
watching  the  weavers  and  their  work.  The  other 
wall  painting  represents  a  man  weaving  a  checkered 
rug  on  a  horizontal  loom.  Other  monuments  of 
ancient  Egypt  and  of  Mesopotamia  bear  witness  that 


History  of  Rug- Weaving  5 

the    manufacture   of    rugs   dates   a   considerable   time 
prior  to  2400  b.  c. 

At  Thebes  a  fresco,  dating  1700- 1000  b.  c, 
represents  three  men  weaving  at  an  upright  loom.  A 
small  rug,  discovered  in  that  city  some  time  between 
the  years  666  and  358  b.  c,  and  now  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Hay  in  England,  is  described  by  Sir  J.  Gardner 
Wilkinson  as  follows  :  ' '  This  rug  is  eleven  inches 
long  by  nine  broad.  It  is  made  like  many  carpets  of 
the  present  day,  with  woollen  threads  on  linen  string. 
In  the  centre  is  the  figure  of  a  boy  in  white,  with  a 
goose  above  it,  the  hieroglyphic  of  '  child '  upon  a 
green  ground,  around  which  is  a  border  composed  of 
red,  white,  and  blue  lines.  The  remainder  is  yellow, 
with  four  white  figures  above  and  below,  and  one  at 
each  side,  with  blue  outlines  and  red  ornaments  ;  and 
the  outer  border  is  made  up  of  red,  white,  and  blue 
lines,  with  a  fancy  device  projecting  from  it,  with  a 
triangular  summit,  which  extends  entirely  round  the 
edge  of  the  rug.  Its  date  is  uncertain,  but  from  the 
child,  the  combination  of  the  colors,  and  ornamental 
border,  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  really  Egyptian,  not 
of  the  Pharaonic,  but  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  period. 
Dr.  Samuel  Birch,  who  edited  the  last  edition  of  Wil- 
kinson's work,  affirms  that  this  is  so. 

On   the   marbles    of    Nineveh    is    represented   the 


6  Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

pectoral  worn  by  Sardanapalus.  It  is  an  exact  miniature 
of  a  Kurdish  rug  of  modern  times.  The  Tree  of  Life,  the 
motive  of  most  of  the  Persian  rug  designs,  is  in  the  centre, 
and  the  border  is  ornamented  with  rosettes  and  bars. 

Phoenician  Art  is  intermediate  between  Egyptian  and 
Assyrian.  The  color  most  prized  in  the  art  of  Phoenicia 
was  the  rare  and  beautiful  purple  (properly  crimson) 
dye  used  exclusively  for  the  garments  of  royalty.  For 
centuries  the  process  of  making  this  dye  was  lost,  and 
even  at  the  time  of  its  highest  fame  it  was  familiar  only 
to  the  maritime  Canaanites,  who  procured  the  color 
from  an  animal  juice  of  the  murex,  a  shell-fish.  The 
shell-fish  and  the  dye  were  known  to  the  ancients  as 
conchylium. 

When  Cleopatra,  the  famous  Queen  of  Egypt,  went 
to  meet  Csesar  for  the  first  time,  she  knew  that  he 
would  not  allow  her  to  enter  his  presence  if  recognized, 
and  therefore  she  cleverly  had  herself  carried  into  his 
palace  wrapped  in  a  rug  of  the  finest  texture.  It  may 
well  be  imagined  that  the  unexpected  disclosure  of  the 
charms  of  this  subtle  Egyptian  shared  largely  in  bring- 
ing the  great  Roman  general  into  her  toils. 

Besides  biblical  writers.  Homer,  v^schylus,  Plautus, 
Metellus,  Scipio,  Horace,  Pliny,  Lucan,  Josephus, 
Arrian,  and  Athenseus  all  speak  of  rugs.  For  people 
interested  in  rugs  the  search  for  these  allusions  is  a 
most  fascinating  occupation. 


History  of  Rug-Weaving  7 

The  Egyptians  bestowed  the  greatest  care  and 
patience  upon  the  rugs  they  wove,  as  upon  all  else  of 
their  handiwork.  They  spread  them  before  the  images 
of  their  gods,  and  also  on  the  ground  for  their  sacred 
cattle  to  lie  upon.  They  loved  Nature  intensely,  and, 
like  true  lovers,  they  seemed  to  have  reached  her  very 
heart,  and  they  symbolized  her  works  in  their  artistic 
designs.  Even  to  this  day  many  Oriental  rugs  have 
symbolic  signs  borrowed  from  the  works  of  Nature. 

In  design  and  color  the  rugs  woven  to-day  in  the 
Orient  are  similar  to  the  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  tex- 
tile fabrics  of  b.  c.  1000-607  (Fall  of  Nineveh)  and  538 
(Fall  of  Babylon).  At  that  early  period  these  textiles 
were  used  for  awnings  and  floor  coverings  in  the  pal- 
aces of  the  Assyrian  kings  Sargon,  Sennacherib,  Esar- 
haddon  and  Sardanapalus.  The  designs  on  the  stone 
slab  from  the  palace  of  Koyunjik,  Nineveh,  and  on  the 
door-sill  from  the  palace  at  Khorsabad,  are  probably 
copied  from  rugs. 

Beginning  in  Egypt  and  Chaldea,  the  manufacture 
of  rugs  was  carried  into  Assyria,  and  then  into  Asia 
Minor.  Ancient  Egypto-Chaldean  forms  are  occasion- 
ally seen  in  modern  rugs,  but  usually  in  a  modified 
form.  For  a  long  time  the  industry  of  rug-weaving 
was  supreme  in  the  countries  mentioned,  but  about 
B.  c.  480  the  Greeks  especially  arrived  at  a  high  state  of 


8  Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

perfection  in  this  art.  Later,  it  was  corrupted  by  the 
Byzantine  (Lower  Roman)  influence.  In  the  seventh 
and  eighth  centuries  the  Saracens  came  into  power  in 
the  Sassanian  Persian  Empire  and  in  the  African  and 
Syrian  provinces.  These  Saracens  believed  that  all 
labor  tended  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  on  their  western 
campaigns  they  carried  rug  manufacture  into  Sicily, 
Spain,  France,  and  Italy  ;  and  thus  it  was  introduced 
throughout  Europe.  It  should  he  here  noted  that  the 
name  Saracen  was  given  by  the  later  Romans  and 
Greeks  to  certain  of  the  nomadic  tribes  on  the  Syrian 
borders  of  the  Roman  Empire.  After  the  introduction 
of  Mohammedanism  they  were  called  Arabs. 

From  earliest  times  it  has  been  the  custom  in  the 
East  to  hang  rugs  on  graves.  About  the  vault  of  the 
mosque  at  Hebron  where  the  patriarchs  Abraham, 
Isaac,  and  Jacob  are  said  to  be  buried,  rugs  are  hung 
at  the  present  day. 

During  times  of  gra.nd/eies  in  Europe,  when  house 
decoration  is  done  with  lavishness,  people,  to  make 
their  homes  more  attractive,  drape  with  beautiful  rugs 
the  balconies,  the  loggias,  and  the  front  walls  of  build- 
ings. The  richness  and  color  of  these  rugs  blend  har- 
moniously with  flags  and  other  emblems,  producing  an 
effect  of  great  magnificence  and  splendor. 


History  of  Rug-Weaving  9 

When  we  see  the  exquisite  loom  work  that  has 
been  wrought  in  the  Orient,  we  sometimes  wonder 
how  the  weavers  have  achieved  such  success,  for  they 
are  destitute  of  what  we  call  education,  and  they  dwell 
amid  the  humblest  surroundings.  But  nature  has 
been  their  instructor,  and  the  rare  shadings  and  varied 
designs  of  the  rugs  are  never  more  wonderful  than  are 
the  many  forms  and  hues  of  the  Natural  World.  The 
weavers  have  intuitively  grasped  what  is  correct  in 
color  from  the  works  of  nature  surrounding  them,  and 
we  reap  the  benefit  in  the  rich  specimens  of  their  art 
■which  they  export. 

The  number  of  Orientals  engaged  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  rugs  in  the  United  States  is  increasing.  It  is 
now  not  an  uncommon  sight  to  see  these  weavers  at 
work  before  the  loom  in  the  show  windows  of  the  rug- 
importing  establishments  of  the  larger  cities.  These 
patient  toilers  of  the  East  delight  in  subdued  color- 
ings and  artistic  designs;  and  without  a  doubt  many  a 
story  is  woven  in  with  the  threads  that  go  to  form  the 
fabric,  many  a  song  of  joy,  many  a  dirge  of  woe  and 
despair. 

The  increasing  use  of  polished  hard  wood  and 
yellow  pine  floors  and  mosaic  work,  even  in  buildings 
of  moderate  cost,  is  displacing  the  use  of  cheap 
flooring,  which  could  be  covered  satisfactorily  only  with 


lo        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

woven  carpets  or  matting.  This  has  enormously  in- 
creased the  demand  for  rugs  ;  and  the  selection  of 
them  aflfords  a  much  wider  range  for  the  exercise  of 
personal  taste  and  discrimination  in  securing  an  article 
not  only  of  greater  artistic  merit,  but  of  greater 
durability. 


Details  of  Rug-Weaving  ^^ 


The  Loom  and  Its  Work 

The  hand  loom  is  Oriental;  the  power  loom  Occi- 
dental. The  former  adds  much  to  the  fame  of  the 
Orient.  The  exquisite  fabrics  it  produces  have  made  it 
world-renowned,  and  although  it  is  simple  in  structure, 
its  products  show  careful  and  finished  labor.  Hand 
looms  in  all  Oriental  countries  are  similar,  and  are 
to-day  almost  as  imperfectly  developed  as  when  used 
by  the  ancient  Egyptians.  To  weave  their  mats,  the 
ancient  Egyptians  took  the  coarse  fibre  of  the  papyrus 
and,  with  the  help  of  pegs,  stretched  it  between  two 
poles  which  were  fastened  in  the  ground.  Two  bars 
were  placed  in  between  them,  the  threads  of  the  warp 
serving  to  keep  them  apart.  The  woof  thread  was 
passed  through  and  pressed  down  tightly  a  number  of 
times  with  a  bent  piece  of  wood. 

The  loom  now  generally  used  in  the  Orient  is  made 
by  fastening  two  poles  perpendicularly  in  the  ground 
to  a  sufficient  depth,  leaving  above  ground  as  much  of 
each  pole  as  equals  in  length  the  desired  rug.  This 
framework   supports  two  horizontal  rollers,   the  warp 


12        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

threads  being  wound  around  the  upper,  while  the  ends 
are  fastened  to  the  lower  ;  at  this  the  weaving  is  begun, 
and  on  it  the  rug  is  rolled  while  in  process  of  construc- 
tion. To  the  warp  threads  of  fine  linen  or  cotton  the 
weavers  tie  the  tufts  of  worsted  that  form  the  pile. 
This  worsted,  which  has  been  dyed  previously,  hangs 
over  their  heads  in  balls.  When  a  row  of  knots  is 
finished,  it  is  pressed  down  to  the  underlying  weft  by 
a  long  and  heavy  comb  with  metal  teeth.  Then  the 
tufts  are  clipped  close  with  shears,  to  make  the  pile. 
In  the  finer  rugs  there  are  seldom  more  than  two,  or  at 
the  most  three,  threads  between  every  two  rows  of 
knots,  but  in  the  coarser  kinds  there  are  more  threads. 
In  many  districts  every  family  possesses  a  loom,  and 
it  is  generally  small  enough  to  be  carried  from  place 
to  place. 

Sir  George  C.  Birdwood  has  seen  the  web  in  the 
horizontal  loom  in  Western  India  kept  stretched  by 
being  wrapped,  as  worked,  round  the  body  of  the 
weaver.  In  some  instances  the  spinners  make  thread 
from  the  cotton  wool  by  using  the  left  hand  as  a  distaff, 
and  the  right  one  as  a  spindle.  In  other  cotton  rugs 
which  he  has  seen,  the  warp  threads  were  placed  hori- 
zontally and  the  loom  was  without  treadles  and  reed. 
The  weft  threads  were  thrown  across  by  the  weaver 
and  brought  together  with  a  small  hand  comb.     The 


SOUMAK   MAT. 
Size,  4.  II  X  3. 1. 

The  fine  weaving  of  this  Soumak  mat  and  its  beauti- 
ful coloring  are  especially  admirable.  The  texture  is 
very  firm,  the  threads  being  drawn  tight.  On  a  field 
which  is  a  choice  shade  of  blue,  rest  geometrical  forms, 
each  one  of  which  has  a  ground  of  terra  cotta,  pale  green, 
or  soft  yellow,  and  is  ornamented  with  rich  blue,  ivory, 
or  a  light  shade  of  terra  cotta.  All  are  outlined  with 
black.  The  hook  design  is  noticed  in  different  parts  of 
the  rug,  and  especially  in  the  border.  The  artistic  effect 
of  this  bit  of  weaving  is  most  pleasing. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mr.  Will  J.  Davis,  Chicago. 


Details  of  Rug-Weaving  i3 

same  style  of  loom,  arranged  vertically,  is  that  on 
which  some  of  the  richly  figured  cotton  rugs  from  the 
Deccan  are  woven. 

In  some  parts  of  Turkey  there  are  German  factories 
that  have  adopted  some  of  the  native  methods;  but  as 
the  majority  of  Turkish  rugs  are  apt  to  be  crooked, 
frames  that  weave  them  straight  are  now  imported 
from  Germany. 

Mrs.  Isabella  Bird  Bishop  describes  a  tribe  of  peo- 
ple living  at  Biratori,  on  the  Island  of  Yezo,  Japan,  and 
bearing  the  name  of  Ainos,  whose  women  employ  their 
time  in  weaving  mats.  Their  loom  is  certainly  the  most 
primitive  arrangement.  A  comb-like  frame,  through 
which  the  threads  pass,  rests  on  the  ankles  of  the 
weaver.  There  is  a  heavy  hook  fastened  in  the  ground 
or  floor,  and  to  this  the  threads  at  the  far  end  of  the 
web  are  sewed.  A  cord  fastens  the  near  end  to  the 
waist  of  the  weaver,  who  by  spinal  rigidity  supplies  the 
necessary  tension.  As  the  work  proceeds,  she  drags 
herself  along  nearer  and  nearer  the  hook.  This  is  slow 
work,  only  about  a  foot  being  accomplished  in  a  day. 
But  as  in  other  countries,  the  women  enjoy  the  neigh- 
borly chats  that  their  work  allows ;  and  often  two  or 
more  will  bring  to  the  house  of  a  neighbor  their  simple 
apparatus,  and  hanging  the  hooks  to  the  roof  or  to  a 
tree,  will  weave  all  day. 


H        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

The  power  looms  of  modern  civilization  are  chiefly 
to  be  found  in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain, 
Philadelphia  being  the  principal  American  centre,  and 
Kidderminster,  Wilton,  Worcester,  Rochdale,  Halifax, 
Dewsbury  and  Durham,  the  English  centres.  Brussels 
and  Scotland  contain  a  number  of  such  looms.  In  all 
Western  countries  Schools  of  Art  furnish  most  of  the 
designs,  and  have  done  much  to  improve  taste.  This 
can  also  be  said  of  good  colorists  in  their  branch  of 
this  industry. 


Details  of  Rug- Weaving  ^5 


The  Weavers 

Rug- Weaving  in  the  Orient  is  an  industry  that,  until 
recent  years,  has  been  carried  on  almost  exclusively  by 
women  and  girls.  From  childhood  to  womanhood 
and  on  to  old  age,  these  weavers  are  at  work.  Girls 
of  six  years  of  age  help  their  mothers,  until  they  be- 
come experiened  by  long  practice.  Even  ladies  of  rank 
and  wealth  weave  rugs  of  fine  quality  for  their  own 
homes.  In  some  districts,  besides  weaving  for  the 
market,  girls  weave  one  or  two  rugs  for  their  dowry; 
this  purpose  furnishes  them  with  enough  excitement  to 
keep  them  interested  in  their  work  and  ambitious  to 
excel.  Now  that  there  is  a  greater  demand  for  rugs, 
and  not  enough  women  to  supply  the  demand,  men  and 
boys  have  come  into  the  business,  but  generally  only 
in  places  where  there  are  large  factories,  and  especially 
in  the  cities.  This  is  noticeably  the  case  in  India, 
where  boys  from  nine  to  fifteen  years  of  age  do  much 
of  the  weaving. 

There  are  two  classes  of  weavers,  the  sedentary  and 
the  nomadic.     The  former  weave  in  their  houses  during 


i6        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

the  winter,  and  in  their  courtyards  during  the  summer. 
The  nomads  spend  the  winter  in  mud  villages,  and  in 
the  summer  go  to  the  mountains  with  their  flocks  and 
live  in  tents  made  of  goat's  hair.  The  manner  of  life 
of  the  sedentary  weaver  works  havoc  with  her  constitu- 
tion even  in  her  youth;  and  consequently  one  is  not 
surprised  at  her  frail  appearance.  In  summer  she  is 
oppressed  with  heat  as  she  sits  before  the  frame,  and  in 
winter  she  is  almost  frozen,  for  she  has  to  work  in  the 
open  air  in  order  to  have  sufficient  light.  Hers  is  not 
an  easy  life.  It  would  be  pleasant  to  believe  that  in  her 
toil,  which  she  carries  on  with  wondrous  patience  and 
in  the  humblest  surroundings,  the  conscientious  weaver 
finds  the  same  inward  satisfaction  that  comes  to  the 
true  artist  elsewhere. 

The  duties  of  the  male  portion  of  the  family  are  to 
tend  the  flocks,  shear  the  sheep,  separate  the  various 
qualities  of  the  wool  into  bundles,  dye  it,  and  make  the 
framework  for  the  rug.  With  the  extension  of  the  in- 
dustry, a  class  of  workers  has  arisen  whose  sole  task  is 
to  manipulate  and  dye  the  wool  for  use.  The  reason 
why  men  do  not  usually  weave  is  that  the  occupation, 
besides  not  being  a  paying  one,  requires  an  amount  of 
patience  not  within  the  powers  of  men  accustomed  to 
work  out  of  doors.  Nor  is  it  a  remunerative  occupation. 
The  reader,  who  is  perhaps  also  a  prospective  rug-buyer, 


SHIRAZ   RUG. 
Size,  4. 3  X  7. 

The  field  of  this  rug  is  marked  with  narrow  perpen- 
dicular stripes  of  soft  yellows,  rose,  deep  bliles,  and 
ivory.  These  mellow  tones  of  color  are  all  thickly 
studded  with  a  fine  floral  design  in  contrasting  shades. 
The  palm  leaf  design,  minute  but  distinct,  is  in  pale 
green,  with  markings  of  blue  and  rose.  The  border 
stripes  of  tan,  dark  rich  blue,  and  rose,  are  floral  in 
effect.  The  rug  is  heavy,  firm,  and  of  fine  weave. 
Fringed  ends  finish  this  beautiful  example  of  the  Shiraz. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mr.  Will  J.  Davis,  Chicago. 


P'^.fm 


Details  of  Rug-Weaving  ^7 

may  be  interested  in  the  following  calculation  of  the 
amount  of  labor  bestowed  upon  a  given  piece  of  the 
best  type,  the  cost  of  the  materials,  and  its  value  when 
completed.  A  square  foot  of  the  best  Persian  rug  is 
worth  about  ten  dollars,  and  it  takes  a  single  weaver 
twenty-three  days  to  complete  this  portion.  This  allows 
the  weaver  about  forty-four  cents  per  day  for  her  wool 
and  her  labor;  but  as  three-fourths  of  this  amount  goes 
to  pay  for  the  wool,  only  eleven  cents  per  day  is  left  for 
her  labor.  The  wages  of  the  producer  of  the  inferior 
article  are  somewhat  better.  A  square  foot  of  an  in- 
ferior rug  is  sold  for  about  sixty  cents,  and  the  time 
required  for  weaving  it  is  but  two  days,  thus  allowing 
the  weaver  thirty  cents  per  day  for  her  wool  and  labor. 
She  uses  inferior  wool,  washes  but  little  of  it,  and  pays 
only  a  nominal  sum  for  a  cheap  dye.  The  framework 
of  her  loom  costs  comparatively  little,  as  the  rug  it 
produces  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  times  the  size  of  the 
superior  rug.  Thus  it  appears  that,  in  the  long  run,  the 
inferior  weaver  is  better  paid  than  the  one  who  fatigues 
her  brain  with  her  efforts  to  produce  a  rug  of  the  best 
quality.  On  the  other  hand,  the  weaver  of  the  superior 
fabric  has  advantages  which  the  other  has  not.  As  a 
general  rule,  she  weaves  to  order,  and  is  paid  for  her 
work  in  advance.  This  prepayment  is  of  great  im- 
portance, considering  the  poverty  of  the  weaver.     The 


i8       Rugs:    Oriental  and  Occidental 

situation  of  the  weaver  of  the  inferior  article  differs  in 
that  she  has  to  buy  her  wool,  dye  it,  finish  her  rug,  and 
then  watch  the  market  for  buyers. 

The  weavers  live  on  the  simplest  fare ;  bread,  cheese, 
and  a  raw  onion  make  an  average  meal.  In  some 
districts  the  weavers  have  to  work  in  underground  huts, 
for  the  air  at  the  surface  is  so  dry  that  the  threads 
would  lose  all  their  elasticity  out  of  doors.  In  these 
underground  places  the  weavers  produce  enough  moist- 
ure by  keeping  at  hand  utensils  full  of  water. 

Although  the  business  is  conducted  with  the  manu- 
facturer on  a  strictly  commercial  basis,  it  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  induce  the  weavers  to  keep  their  appointments 
and  finish  a  rug  at  the  time  it  is  promised.  In  India, 
for  example,  the  weavers  are  very  superstitious;  and  if 
a  boy  weaver  be  taken  ill,  the  entire  force  on  that  loom 
will  stop  until  he  recover.  If  he  die,  the  entire  force 
of  native  weavers  may  be  changed.  This  of  course 
causes  vexatious  delay,  not  only  of  days,  but  often  of 
weeks  and  months. 


Details  of  Rug- Weaving  ^9 


The  Wool 

Sheep's  wool,  camel's  hair,  mohair  from  the  Angora 
Goat,  hair  from  the  Yak  and  from  the  Thibetan  Goat, 
are  all  used  as  the  materials  from  which  rugs  are 
woven.  In  the  spring  the  raw  wool  is  generally  taken 
to  the  nearest  market,  where  it  is  cleaned,  washed,  and 
spun.  The  cleansing  process  is  very  necessary,  as  it 
affects  in  an  important  degree  the  quality  of  the  ma- 
terial. The  wool  is  usually  washed  in  running  water  by 
the  men,  and  then  sorted  and  cleansed  a  second  time. 

Persia,  Turkey,  and  India  all  produce  wool,  the  two 
former  countries  in  larger  quantities  than  India,  but 
some  of  the  very  finest  wool  comes  from  that  part  of 
India  known  as  Kashmir.  The  celebrated  Turfani  wool 
comes  from  Chinese  Thibet.  It  is  very  choice,  and 
beautiful  fabrics  are  woven  from  it. 

The  pashim  is  the  soft  downy  wool  growing  next 
the  body  of  the  goat.  In  color  it  is  white,  dark  gray, 
or  drab;  and  of  this  many  of  the  finest  India  rugs  are 
woven.  Large-tailed  sheep  are  common  in  Kabul, 
Peshawar,    and    other    districts ;    these    furnish    wool 


20        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

from  which  many  a  rug  is  woven.  It  is  possible  that 
the  very  sheep  watched  over  by  the  Shepherds  of 
Judaea  the  night  of  our  Savior's  birth  were  reared 
partly  for  their  wool,  with  a  view  to  rug-weaving. 

The  camel  is  useful  not  only  as  a  beast  of  burden; 
its  hair  is  woven  into  fabrics  both  fine  and  durable, 
chief  of  which  are  rugs,  beautiful,  much  desired,  and 
costly.  The  natural  colors  harmonize  readily  with  the 
furnishings  in  most  rooms,  and  the  soft  texture  of  the 
best  ones  is  attractive. 

The  process  of  carding  is  accomplished  by  means  of 
a  block  with  vertical  pins  in  even  rows  close  together. 
The  wool  is  drawn  through  these  many  times,  and  then 
spun  into  yarn. 


KAZAK    RUG. 
Size,  8.3  X  4. 1  o. 

This  is  an  unusually  fine  specimen  of  a  Kazak.  Its 
softness,  combined  with  its  solidity,  gives  it  force  and 
beauty.  On  the  wonderful  rose  field  a  series  of  geo- 
metrical figures,  five  in  number,  are  placed.  Odd  fig- 
ures, including  stiff  little  animals,  fill  in  the  remaining 
field.  The  wide  border  is  composed  of  small  diamonds, 
with  varied  forms  of  the  hook  design.  The  strength  of 
the  Cossacks  is  displayed  in  this  hardy,  forceful,  and 
richly  colored  rug. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Cyrus  H.  McCormick,  Chicago. 


■■''^1  SHJST?'"^ 


Details  of  Rug- Weaving  21 


The  Quality 

The  fineness  of  a  rug  depends  largely  upon  the 
quality  of  the  wool  and  the  number  of  knots  to  the 
square  foot.  In  one  yard  of  the  best  made  Persian 
rugs  there  are  between  twenty  thousand  and  thirty 
thousand  stitches  made  by  hand.  The  wool  must  be  of 
fine  quality,  but  not  too  soft.  It  should  be  closely 
woven,  and  evenly  cropped.  A  great  deal  depends 
upon  the  manipulation  of  the  wool  in  the  rough,  and 
careful  attention  should  be  given  to  this  particular. 

The  quality  of  the  wool  is  affected  by  whatever  cir- 
cumstances affect  the  well-being  of  the  sheep,  and  in  a 
marked  degree  by  climate.  Hence  there  is  a  decided 
difference  in  the  wools  of  various  districts  and  sections 
of  a  country.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  wool 
produced  in  cold  countries  is  soft  and  fine,  while  that 
of  the  warmer  climates  is,  on  the  other  hand,  harder, 
firmer,  and  more  lasting.  Hard  wool  is  easier  for  the 
weaver  to  handle,  and  the  tufts  can  be  cropped  with 
more  facility.  It  is  partly  owing  to  these  facts  that  the 
rugs  of  the  cold  districts  are  most  in  demand. 


22        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

The  fact  that  some  rugs  are  so  much  better  than 
others  is  a  natural  result  of  the  superior  skill  of  the 
makers.  Weavers  are  like  other  workers,  some  doing 
perfect  work,  some  indifferent,  and  others  very  poor. 
But  the  quality  of  the  rugs  offered  for  sale  in  this 
country  depends  also  upon  the  knowledge  and  the  con- 
science of  the  wholesale  buyer  at  the  place  of  manufac- 
ture. When  the  buyer  for  an  importing  establishment 
brings  over  quantities  of  rugs  not  all  of  which  are 
artistic,  the  question  may  be  asked:  "Why  do  you  not 
always  select  rugs  that  are  beautiful?"  He  may  reply 
that  it  is  his  business  to  get  those  that  will  sell,  and 
that  there  is  a  great  variety  of  taste  in  the  customers 
for  whom  he  is  catering;  or  he  may  say  that  he  buys  a 
thousand  rugs  at  a  time,  and  does  not  see  them  individ- 
ually. It  is  in  the  retail  shop  that  the  final  purchaser 
may  pick  and  choose. 

The  most  famous  rugs  of  the  Orient  have  been  se- 
lected with  great  care  by  men  who  have  special  knowl- 
edge of  the  subject,  and  they  are  owned  by  museums 
or  connoisseurs.  Some  have  been  brought  to  this 
country  by  distinguished  soldiers  and  statesmen,  to 
whom  they  have  been  presented  as  tokens  of  respect, 
by  potentates.  Others  have  been  obtained  through  the 
fortunes  of  war. 


Details  of  Rug-Weaving  23 


The  Knotting 

Except  in  the  Soumak  and  the  Khilim,  which  have 
the  flat  stitch,  there  are  only  two  kinds  of  knotting 
used  in  Oriental  rugs.  These  knots  are  called  the 
Persian  or  Sinna,  and  the  Turkish  or  Ghiordes. 

In  the  Persian  manner  of  knotting  there  are  more 
knots  to  the  square  inch  than  in  the  Turkish,  and  the 
result  is  a  finer  surface.  Often  the  Persian  knotting  is 
so  fine  that  the  surface  of  the  fabric  is  like  velvet.  The 
Persian  knot  is  tied  in  such  a  manner  that  one  end  of 
the  pile  yarn  extends  from  every  spacing  that  separates 
the  warp  threads.  It  is  made  in  such  a  way  that  a 
noose  is  formed,  which  tightens  as  the  yarn  is  pulled. 
Occasionally  it  is  turned  in  the  opposite  direction,  and 
executed  from  left  to  right.  In  this  case  two  threads 
of  yarn  are  employed,  this  of  course  making  the  pile 
twice  as  thick  as  in  the  other. 

The  Turkish  or  Ghiordes  knot  has  the  yarn  twisted 
about  the  warp  threads  in  such  a  manner  that  the  two 
raised  ends  of  the  pile  alternate  with  every  two  threads 
of  the  warp. 


24        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Experts  have  spent  much  time  and  invested  much 
capital  in  the  endeavor  to  make  the  rug  industry  as 
perfect  as  possible.  Judging  from  the  examples  of 
India  rugs  I  have  seen, — some  with  a  seven  by  six 
knot,  others  with  a  sixteen  by  sixteen  knot,  —  I  am  con- 
vinced that  the  beauty,  durability,  and  artistic  effects 
produced  by  the  efforts  of  the  manufacturers  will  be 
appreciated  more  and  more.  From  the  fact  that  the 
best  known  firms  in  the  rug  business  in  New  York, 
Chicago,  and  other  cities  in  the  United  States,  and 
several  leading  firms  in  England  are  sponsors  for  the 
present  rug  industry  in  India,  it  may  naturally  be  in- 
ferred that  it  is  prosecuted  with  skill  and  care. 

The  different  stitches  made  are  as  follows :  —  Seven 
by  eight,  or  fifty-six  hand-tied  knots  to  the  square  inch; 
eight  by  eight,  or  sixty-four  knots  to  the  square  inch; 
ten  by  ten,  or  one  hundred  knots  to  the  square  inch; 
twelve  by  twelve,  or  one  hundred  and  forty-four  knots 
to  the  square  inch ;  and  sixteen  by  sixteen,  or  two 
hundred  and  fifty-six  knots  to  the  square  inch.  These 
finer  stitches  are  made  in  the  very  best  examples  pro- 
duced by  the  finest  Persian  weavers.  A  specimen 
recently  shown  me  was  an  exact  reproduction  of  the 
rug  owned  by  Prince  Alexis  Lobanow-Rostowsky,  in 
which  the  stitch  was  the  sixteen  by  sixteen.  It  was 
made  in  one  of  the  factories  in  Kashmir,  now  controlled 


CAMEL'S   HAIR   MAT  FROM  HAMADAN. 
Size,  4. 1  X  2. 8. 

This  mat  is  a  fine  example  of  the  Hamadan  weave, 
which  is  so  frequently  met.  The  field  of  camel's  hair 
is  in  the  natural  color.  The  medallion  in  the  centre  is 
woven  mainly  in  red,  as  is  also  the  border  of  the  mat. 
Both  these,  however,  are  ornamented  with  green,  white, 
maroon,  orange,  and  a  few  black  lines.  There  is  a 
fringe  at  each  end  of  the  rug,  but  at  one  end  it  is  much 
deeper  than  at  the  other. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  A.  A.  yantine  isf  Co.,  Nev>  fori. 


Details  of  Rug-Weaving  25 

by  one  of  the  leading  rug  importing  establishments  of 
Chicago.  This  fabric  of  the  loom  received  the  Grand 
Prix  at  the  Paris  Exhibition  of  igcx),  and  is  now  owned 
by  a  Chicago  lady. 


26        Rugs:    Oriental  and  Occidental 


Designs 

The  designs  of  Eastern  rugs  are  often  the  spon- 
taneous outcome  of  the  fancy  of  the  weaver.  Some- 
times they  are  handed  down  from  one  generation 
to  another;  in  some  cases  young  girls  are  taught  the 
design  by  an  adult,  who  marks  it  in  the  sand;  at  other 
times  a  drawing  of  the  rug  is  made  on  paper,  the  in- 
structor showing  her  pupils  the  arrangement  of  every 
thread  and  the  color  to  be  used.  When  all  this  has 
been  done,  the  pupil  must  make  the  rug  without  look- 
ing at  the  drawing. 

■"Persian  rugs  excel  those  of  other  countries  in 
artistic  design  as  well  as  in  harmonious  coloring.  The 
Persians  seem  to  have  a  natural  intuition  in  the  use 
and  blending  of  different  shades,  and  in  the  designs 
that  contain  these  colors  they  achieve  the  happiest 
results.  It  is  really  wonderful  what  exquisite  fabrics 
these  people,  born  and  reared  in  ignorance  and 
poverty,  produce. 

The  designs  in  Persian  rugs  are  generally  floral;  and 
in  some  districts,  especially  Pars,   the  women  weavers 


Details  of  Rug- Weaving  27 

invent  the  designs,  varying  them  every  two  or  three 
years.  The  Mohammedan  religion  does  not  allow  any 
direct  representation  of  animal  forms ;  consequently 
rugs  woven  under  its  influence  take  floral,  geometric, 
and  vegetable  forms.  The  Shiah  sect  of  Moslems, 
however,  numbering  about  fifteen  millions, — of  which 
eight  millions  are  Persians, — do  not  regard  represent- 
ations of  animals  as  unlawful.  By  the  industry  of  this 
sect,  and  that  of  infidels,  and  of  all  who  disregard  the 
law  of  the  Koran,  animal  forms  are  seen  on  some 
Persian  rugs. 

Among  the  good  antique  Persian  rugs  there  are  in 
all  about  thirty  designs,  all  having  different  borders. 
Each  design  is  the  peculiar  work  of  a  family  or  tribe, 
and  is  produced  continuously,  from  generation  to 
generation  without  noticeable  change,  except  in  com- 
pliance with  the  demand  of  a  buyer,  or  by  a  weaver 
who  carries  out  some  special  fancy.  A  large  number 
of  buyers  select  the  color,  design,  and  size,  leaving  their 
order  with  an  importer  or  a  manufacturer. 

In  the  modern  Oriental  rug  the  designs  are  not  to 
be  entirely  depended  upon.  They  are  apt  to  vary  at 
the  will  of  the  weaver;  and  moreover.  Occidental 
designs  are  now  sent  to  the  Orient  to  be  woven  into 
rugs  by  the  native  weavers  of  the  Eastern  country. 
The  designs  sent  to   India   to  be   reproduced    by  the 


28        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

different  European  and  American  firms  having  factories 
there,  are  almost  universally  strictly  Oriental  in  char- 
acter, being  copies  from  fine  old  Persian  pieces,  or  re- 
arrangements of  Oriental  forms.  When  the  design 
reaches  India,  it  has  to  be  re-drawn  to  the  exact  size  of 
the  rug  that  is  to  be  made.  From  this  is  copied  what  is 
called  a  talim,  which  is  the  only  direction  the  weavers 
have.  This  talim,  or  guide,  shows  the  weavers  exactly 
how  many  knots  of  a  color  are  to  be  tied;  and  when 
these  different  colors  are  put  together,  the  design  is 
formed.  These  talims  are  carefully  kept,  and  as  they 
are  records  of  the  designs,  these  can  be  reproduced  at 
any  time. 

Large  rugs  show  best  in  large  and  bold  designs,  for 
small  and  crowded  designs  would  not  be  artistic. 
Small  designs  are,  however,  preferable  on  small  rugs; 
and  the  finer  the  border  of  a  rug  of  whatever  size,  the 
more  beautiful  and  costly  the  rug.  A  bold  design  on  a 
small  rug  would  spoil  it. 

An  average  size  for  a  large  rug  is  six  yards  by  four, 
and  for  this  a  bold  vigorous  design  would  be  suitable. 


Hl^^j^^'  '- 


..*I4 


\  ^V*  ff^ 


^/i^i 


.•^ij^*?- 


«-. 


ANTIQUE   PERSIAN   RUG. 

Size,   15.  3  X  6.  7. 

The  tree  design  in  its  best  and  strongest  elements  is 
typified  in  this  wonderful  and  most  interesting  Persian 
fabrication  of  olden  time.  The  harmony  of  design  and 
color  is  most  impressive,  and  the  size  of  the  rug  en- 
hances this  effect.  It  was  evidently  woven  by  one 
weaver,  and  years  of  patient  labor  and  the  greatest  skill 
must  have  been  bestowed  on  it.  The  richness  of  color- 
ing, the  velvet-like  texture,  the  repose  of  design,  are 
all  unusual.  The  foundation  is  of  a  deep  rich  blue,  and 
the  exquisite  rose  and  sapphire  blues  and  ivory  tones 
are  in  the  softest  and  richest  of  permanent  dyes.  The 
border  is  wide,  the  main  stripe  of  the  rose  shade,  and 
the  coloring  all  so  blended  that  the  continuity  of  the  rug 
is  complete.     It  is  doubtless  a  product  of  Kurdistan. 

'I'l'- 

Reproduced  Sy  courtesy  of  Mrs,  Potter  Palmer ^  Chicago. 


Details  of  Rug- Weaving  29 


The  Dyes 

When  doing  their  best  work,  Oriental  weavers 
use  the  softest  of  permanent  dyes.  The  result  ob- 
tained is  a  thing  of  beauty  and  utility.  The  aniline 
dye  is  of  course  not  to  be  compared  to  the  vegetable, 
although  the  best  of  it  is  not  to  be  utterly  condemned. 
The  poorest  aniline  dye  eats  into  the  rug,  and  the 
color  fades. 

Madder  ranks  high  among  those  plants  which  yield 
a  permanent  dye.  It  belongs  to  the  genus  Rubia  ;  the 
root  employed  is  that  of  the  Rubia  tinctorum.  This  is 
largely  cultivated  in  certain  districts  of  India,  but  the 
best  comes  from  near  Smyrna,  and  from  other  parts  of 
Asiatic  Turkey.  The  plant  grows  wild  throughout  a 
large  section  of  Central  Asia  and  Russia.  With  both 
the  European  and  the  Indian  madders  the  roots  of  the 
plants  are  the  only  parts  that  yield  the  dye.  In  the 
roots  three  coloring  matters  are  obtained  :  alizarin  and 
purpurin,  which  are  both  red,  and  xanthin,  which  is 
yellow.  Cochineal  was  introduced  for  dyeing  purposes 
in  1856.     It  is  the  product  of  an  insect  called  Coccus 


30        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

cacti,  which  lives  on  a  species  of  cactus.  Yellow  is 
often  produced  from  Persian  berries,  turmeric,  saffron, 
and  sumac. 

Tyrian  purple  dye  was  greatly  prized  by  the  Phoeni- 
cians. As  stated  above,  it  was  obtained  from  a  shell- 
fish ;  but  the  secret  was  known  only  to  the  maritime 
Canaanites.  The  art  of  producing  this  dye  has  been 
lost,  although  in  recent  years  some  aver  that  it  has 
been  re-discovered. 

The  Kermes  dye,  of  which  we  often  hear,  is  only 
another  name  for  a  red,  not  so  brilliant  as  cochineal, 
but  more  durable,  and  is  the  product  of  a  species  of 
coccus. 

Greens  are  obtained  from  various  sources.  The 
Chinese  green  is  a  dye  obtained  from  Rhamnus  chlor- 
ophorus  and  Rhamnus  ictilis,  a  genus  of  shrubs.  The  fruit 
of  several  buckthorns,  or  the  Persian  berries,  as  they 
are  generally  called  by  dyers,  gives  also  greens  and 
brilliant  yellows.  Most  of  the  greens,  however,  are 
produced  by  the  combination  of  indigo  with  yellow. 

Indigo,  mentioned  by  Pliny  as  Indicum,  yields  the 
deep  blue  dye  so  much  prized  by  the  Romans.  Arrian 
speaks  of  indigo,  and  says  that  it  was  exported  from 
Barbarike,  on  the  Indus,  into  Egypt.  This  plant  is 
grown  in  India,  China,  North  and  South  America, 
Mexico,  Central  America,   Africa,  Japan,   Madagascar, 


Details  of  Rug- Weaving  3i 

and  Jamaica.  When  the  Indian  indigo  plant,  Indigo- 
fera  tinctoria,  is  in  flower,  it  contains  the  largest 
quantity  of  coloring  matter. 


32        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Oriental  Colors 

Among  Orientals  a  good  deal  of  significance  has 
attached,  from  the  earliest  days,  to  color.  In  Baby- 
lon scarlet  was  the  symbol  of  fire,  blue  of  air,  and 
purple  of  water.  Tyrian  purple  was  an  exquisite  and 
rare  shade  of  crimson.  Many  allusions  are  made  to  it 
by  classical  writers.  The  principal  colors  of  the  ancient 
Egyptians  were  red,  yellow,  and  blue.  Black  was  the 
symbol  of  error.  White  signified  a  holy  life,  purity, 
innocence  of  soul.  The  priests  of  Zeus  and  of  Osiris 
were  robed  in  white.  Red  was  the  symbol  of  zeal  for 
the  faith.  Yellow  was  supposed  to  bring  evil  and 
sorrow.  Blue  was  the  symbol  of  truth.  Black  and 
white  were  often  used  to  outline  other  colors. 

The  Persians,  unlike  most  other  Orientals,  are  not 
fond  of  bright  colors.  They  are  apt  to  avoid  the  light 
shades  of  red  and  green  as  being  too  showy,  and 
further,  as  being  liable  to  fade.  Greens  and  yellows 
in  dark  shades  they  treat  with  more  favor.  They  con- 
sider black  and  indigo  as  the  symbols  of  sorrow;  rose 
is  the  symbol  of  Divine  Wisdom;  green  represents 
initiation  into  the  knowledge  of  the  Most  High. 


SARAKHS    RUG. 
Size,  6.9  X  1 1.4. 

The  texture  of  this  rug  is  very  fine.  It  is  thick  and 
soft,  and  very  compact  and  smooth.  There  is  a  force 
both  in  color  and  design.  On  a  deep  blue  field  rests  a 
large  medallion  in  rather  strong  colors,  red,  blue, 
green,  and  ivory.  Heavily  ornamented  corner  areas  in 
the  same  shades  give  to  the  whole  design  a  certain 
symmetry,  and  a  wide  floral  border  with  much  ivory 
gives  an  air  of  solidity. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  Arnold,  Constable  faf  Co.,  New  York. 


Details  of  Rug-Weaving  33 

Among  the  Chinese,  yellow  is  the  symbol  of  royalty. 
The  Emperor  of  China  and  his  sons  may  wear  a  yellow 
robe ;  their  descendants  wear  yellow  sashes  and  have 
yellow  bridles  for  their  horses.  Red  is  the  symbol  of 
truth,  virtue,  and  sincerity.  It  is  the  color  of  the 
highest  degree  of  official  rank.  White  is  the  symbol 
of  mourning;  black  represents  vice  and  depravity. 

Of  the  Turkish  colors,  green  is  the  most  sacred  ; 
and  for  this  reason  a  true  follower  of  Mahomet  will  not 
permit  it  to  be  used  in  his  rugs,  for  fear  it  may  be  pro- 
faned by  being  stepped  upon.  Twenty-five  or  thirty 
years  ago  no  Christian  was  allowed  to  wear  even  a 
vestige  of  green  anywhere  upon  him,  while  in  Turkey; 
but  this  law  is  not  now  so  rigidly  enforced.  If  the 
Prophet  or  any  of  his  family  wear  this  color,  no  objec- 
tion is  raised,  as  he  and  they  are  considered  holy,  and 
thus  exempt  from  the  penalty.  White  is  the  color  per- 
mitted to  a  student  or  teacher  of  the  law. 


II 


RUG-WEAVING   IN  EGYPT,  PERSIA 
AND    TURKEY 


RUG-WEAVING  IN  EGYPT,  PERSIA, 
AND   TURKEY 


Rug-Weaving  in  Egypt 

'TM-IE  supply  of  skins  having  been  found  inadequate 
■*■  to  the  gratification  of  their  desire  for  comfort, 
the  ancient  Egyptians  gradually  developed  the  art  of 
making  mats  from  papyrus,  a  plant  as  important  to  them 
as  any  of  our  trees,  fibrous  grasses,  or  hemp  are  to  us. 
While  at  work  on  the  manufacture  of  these  mats,  the 
weavers  used  to  squat  on  the  ground.  They  became 
skillful,  both  in  constructing  the  fabric  and  arranging 
the  colors;  the  latter  were  quite  bright  and  effective, 
being  chiefly  red,  blue,  yellow,  and  green,  with  black 
and  white  to  define. 

Egyptians  used  rugs  in  the  decoration  of  their 
rooms,  hanging  them  on  walls,  and  they  also  suspended 
them  between  the  pillars.  But  as  the  glory  of  Egypt 
departed,  her  skill  in  rug  making  also  declined;  and 
the  Egyptian  rugs  of  the  present  day  are  of  a  coarse 
quality,  being  made  in  private  houses  under  the  primi- 


38        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

tive  conditions  that  existed  thousands  of  years  ago. 
The  last  manufactory  in  working  order  was  at  Boulak, 
a  suburb  of  Cairo,  but  it  has.  been  closed  for  several 
years.  A  great  many  rugs,  however,  are  imported  into 
Egypt,  the  majority  being  from  Persia,  Turkey,  and 
India.  Cairo  is  still  one  of  the  headquarters  for  the 
sale  of  rugs  of  Eastern  make  to  tourists. 


..--SM* 


SAMARKAND   RUG. 

Size,  1 1.6  X  5. 10. 

This  is  a  fine  specimen  of  the  Samarkand  rug.  As 
usual  in  rugs  of  this  class,  the  weaving  is  rather  loose 
and  the  texture  thin.  The  coloring  is  extremely  rich 
and  mellow.  The  field  of  red  is  in  a  warm  tone,  and 
the  medallions  are  in  fine  shades  of  yellow.  One  of 
the  border  stripes  is  a  Chinese  design.  As  in  all  rugs 
of  this  description,  the  Chinese  element  is  plainly  seen, 
both  in  design  and  color,  showing  what  proximity  of 
location  will  effect. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  Arnold,  Constable  y  Co.,  New  Tori. 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  39 


Persian   Rugs 

In  Persia  the  art  of  rug  making  has  attained  a 
very  high  degree  of  excellence,  having  been  practiced 
there  during  many  centuries;  indeed,  the  exact  period 
when  this  industry  was  introduced  into  that  country  is 
not  known.  Tradition  has  it  that  long  before  the  days  of 
Alexander  the  Great,  rugs  were  woven  at  Shuster,  then 
the  capital ;  and  being  a  luxury,  they  were  woven  solely 
for  kings'  palaces,  and  on  the  finest  gold  warp. 

The  Persians  having  been  an  industrious  and  civil- 
ized people  for  many  centuries,  and  a  large  proportion 
of  them  having  been  accustomed  to  the  nomadic  and 
pastoral  life,  it  is  a  natural  inference  that  love  of  gain 
and  the  demand  from  the  growing  towns  for  articles  of 
beauty  and  luxury  gave  the  wandering  tribes  the  oppor- 
tunity to  utilize  their  wool  by  supplying  the  demand. 
Encouraged  as  it  was  under  the  reign  of  Abbas  Shah, 
the  industry  prospered.  Various  kings  of  Persia  culti- 
vated certain  branches  of  art  and  industry,  but  Abbas 
Shah  especially  gave  a  decided  impetus  to  rug  weaving. 
He  had  a  particular  fondness  for  the  beautiful  creations 


40        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

of  this  industrial  art,  and  the  rugs  made  during  his  reign 
bring  fabulous  prices.  After  his  death  a  reaction 
followed.  Rugs  fell  into  comparative  disuse,  and  the 
manufacture  deteriorated  until  about  1850,  when,  thanks 
to  the  demand  in  Europe,  the  industry  revived.  To- 
day it  is  in  a  flourishing  condition  and  the  most  impor- 
tant source  of  Persia's  income. 

Persians,  from  the  Shah  to  the  peasant,  sit  upon 
rugs  when  eating,  with  cushions  placed  behind  them. 
It  is  only  the  lowest  beggar  who  has  no  rug.  The  rugs 
used  by  the  Persians  themselves  are  rather  small,  the 
larger  ones  being  exported  to  foreign  countries.  Usu- 
ally the  rooms  of  Persian  homes  are  small,  and  narrow 
in  proportion  to  their  length;  consequently  only  small 
rugs  are  required.  But  even  when  the  rooms  are  large, 
the  Persians  prefer  several  small  rugs  to  one  large  rug, 
as  a  floor  covering.  They  often  first  cover  the  hard- 
beaten  ground  with  a  matting  of  split  reeds,  and  then 
lay  over  this  so  many  small  rugs  that  the  matting  can- 
not be  seen.  This  custom  is  becoming  more  and  more 
common  in  Persia.  With  their  taste  in  design  and 
color,  they  produce  beautiful  effects. 

The  finest  rugs  are  closely  woven  with  a  pile  like 
velvet,  and  with  stitches  on  the  back  that  resemble 
needlework.  A  rug  has  scarcely  reached  its  prime 
until  it  has  been  down  ten  years;  and  it  should  last  for 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  4i 

centuries,  if  carefully  used.  As  a  partial  explanation 
of  this  wonderful  durability,  it  should  be  remembered 
that  in  their  own  homes  the  Persians  use  their  finest 
rugs  for  hangings,  and  also  that  they  take  off  their 
shoes  before  entering  the  house. 

In  ancient  days  rug  weaving  in  Persia  was  generally 
restricted  to  Ispahan,  Khorassan,  and  Shuster,  but  in 
modern  times  the  most  noted  districts  are  those  of 
Sultanabad,  Pars,  Hamadan,  Feraghan,  Bijar,  Kurdistan, 
Khorassan,  and  Kirman.  But  the  industry  is  so  widely 
spread  over  Persia  that  there  is  not  a  class  of  women 
who  do  not  live  by  it,  and  very  often  really  fine  pieces 
of  work  are  produced  in  districts  where  the  art  receives 
no  encouragement.  The  districts  mentioned  above  are 
more  noted  for  the  quality  of  the  rugs  they  produce 
than  for  anything  else.  The  rug  of  each  district  has  a 
peculiar  character  of  its  own,  both  as  to  the  quality  of 
the  wool  and  the  design  employed.  The  peculiarities 
characterizing  each  district  are  so  noticeable  that  an 
expert  can  tell  at  a  glance  where  a  rug  was  made- 
It  is  very  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  discover  the 
exact  value  of  the  export  and  import  trade  of  Persia. 
The  source  of  this  information  is  naturally  the  Customs 
Administration,  which  in  Persia  exists  but  in  name. 
The  duties  of  the  ports  and  principal  towns  are  farmed 
out  to  various  persons,  whose  interest  it  is  to  send  the 


42        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

inquirer  away  as  ignorant  upon  the  subject  as  he  was 
before  the  interview  began.  But  it  is  possible,  after  a 
great  deal  of  labor  in  collecting  statistics  from  the 
dealers  of  a  particular  article,  to  form  an  estimate 
probably  not  very  far  from  the  truth.  By  this  method 
we  judge  that  the  average  yearly  export  value  of  rugs 
in  Aaragh  (the  Sultanabad  district)  is  three  hundred 
thousand  dollars;  Hamadan  one  hundred  thousand; 
Bijar  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand;  Malair  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars;  Kurdistan  fifty  thousand;  Fars 
seventy-five  thousand;  Kirman  and  Khorassan  one 
hundred  thousand;  and  in  the  less  known  districts,  col- 
lectively, fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  total  of  these 
figures  classes  the  rug  export  in  the  very  first  order  of 
exports.  It  is  plain  that  this  amount  does  not  represent 
the  full  value  of  the  manufacture,  inasmuch  as  a  great 
quantity  of  the  goods  does  not  leave  the  country.  This 
quantity  is  perhaps  small  in  comparison  with  that  ex- 
ported, but  it  is  large  enough  to  make  the  value  nearly 
a  million  dollars. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  mention  here  that  the  ex- 
port duty  on  rugs  on  the  average  is  two  and  a  half 
cents  per  square  foot,  and  carriage  to  the  sea  ports  ten 
cents  per  square  foot,  while  the  import  duty  to  the 
United  States  is  forty  per  cent  ad  valorem,  and  the 
specific  duty  ten  cents  per  square  foot 


♦»^-'t5''t,' ;■'':■■ ''^'?W!'^''WW*^f^.*"-^'-  r  "■;?;';, If,- •.;;-:•:' 


OLD   PERSIAN   SILK   RUG. 
Size,  5.8x4.12. 

This  remarkable  rug  in  some  lights  suggests  the 
heart  of  a  forest.  Some  of  its  sections  indicate  Chinese 
inspiration,  and  recall,  too,  the  famous  Hunting  Rugs; 
but  it  was  undoubtedly  woven  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Meshhed,  in  the  province  of  Khorassan.  The  thick 
texture,  the  long  pile,  and  the  look  of  the  animals  afford 
evidence  in  support  of  this  conclusion.  The  field  is  in 
an  unusual  shade  of  reddish  bronze,  with  a  strong 
metallic  lustre.  In  certain  lights  the  surface  looks  like 
a  mass  of  gleaming  gold.  In  the  centre  stands  the  Tree 
of  Life,  its  branches  rich  with  foliage,  among  which 
birds  of  bright  plumage  seem  to  flutter.  At  the  base 
of  the  tree,  two  wild  animals  are  depicted,  apparently 
in  search  of  prey.  In  the  corner  areas  at  the  top  of 
the  rug  two  serpents  are  attacking  young  birds  in  a 
nest,  which  is  guarded  by  an  agitated  parent  bird.  On 
either  side  at  the  base  of  the  rug  is  a  cypress  tree. 
Across  the  top  is  an  inscription  in  Arabic,  which  has 
been  variously  translated. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Emmons  Blaine,  Chicago. 


SINNA     RUG. 
Size,  4.6  X  6. 6. 

This  is  a  beautiful  example  of  the  very  fine  weave 
and  the  even  clipping  that  characterize  the  Sinna  rugs. 
Thickly  studding  the  dark  blue  field  are  minute  designs 
in  blue  and  rose  hues,  with  which  pale  green,  yellow, 
and  a  sapphire  blue  blend  most  harmoniously.  All 
these  small  designs  rest  in  the  usual  diaper  design, 
which  may  be  traced  throughout  the  rug.  The  border 
is  charming,  with  its  ground-work  of  fine  yellow,  on 
which  are  delicate  tracings  of  light  green,  ivory,  and 
blue.  The  effect  of  light  and  shade  upon  this  exquisite 
piece  of  weaving  brings  out  plainly  the  marvelous  sheen 
which  is  a  feature  of  this  rug.  The  innumerable  small 
figures  which  appear  throughout  the  rug,  with  their 
blending  of  soft  hues,  present  a  kaleidoscopic  effect. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Emmons  Blaine,  Chicago. 


■li.l/l 


miiii^i&^  ,.^iJul^kM«aiii>t 


i«  iji'^rii-^yjiriiJlllLriiilr;, 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  43 

In  Persia  several  firms  have  done  a  great  deal  in  the 
way  of  encouraging  the  industry  of  rug  weaving  in  that 
country.  To  supply  the  demand  for  Persian  rugs  in 
Europe  and  America,  these  firms  have  erected  build- 
ings in  Sultanabad,  where  they  keep  the  weavers 
under  control  and  steadily  employed.  These  firms, 
having  been  long  established,  are  conversant  with  the 
Persians  and  their  character;  and  to  prevent  any 
deception  they  pay  the  weavers  by  the  piece  instead 
of  by  the  day. 

The  rugs  produced  by  these  firms  are  of  the  medium 
quality.  The  wool  is  bought  in  the  rough  and  man- 
ipulated for  use.  Every  day  a  quantity  of  it  is  given 
out  to  the  laborers,  who  must  reproduce  the  design 
placed  before  them,  and  each  laborer  is  paid  from  two 
to  four  dollars  per  square  yard,  according  to  the 
quality  of  her  work.  In  the  service  of  these  firms,  the 
weaver  is  obliged  to  put  aside  her  individual  taste  and 
follow  closely  the  designs,  which  are  prepared  in 
accordance  with  the  prevailing  fashions  abroad.  The 
independent  native  weaver  does  not  pay  any  attention 
to  the  taste  of  the  buyer.  She  places  her  work  in  the 
local  market,  and  the  native  merchant  purchases  it  for 
exportation. 


44        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Characteristics  of  Certain  Persian  Rugs 

Bakhshis  rugs  are  made  of  poor  material  and  are 
not  at  all  desirable,  being  badly  woven  and  of  poor 
coloring. 

The  so-called  Birjand  rugs  are  woven  almost  ex- 
clusively in  the  village  of  Daraksh,  about  fifty  miles 
north-east  of  Birjand.  The  weavers  of  these  rugs  came 
originally  from  Herat.  The  rugs  are  generally  satis- 
factory, the  weaving  being  fine,  although  in  most  cases 
uneven. 

The  Plain  of  Feraghan  exports  annually  a  large 
number  of  rugs  rather  loosely  woven,  but  soft  and 
durable.  The  entire  centre  is  often  filled  with  rather 
small  irregular  figures  on  a  dark  blue  field.  These 
rugs  are  firm,  and  generally  heavy  and  large ;  the  bor- 
der, in  old  rose  or  some  other  color,  with  a  design  in 
the  form  of  rosettes  and  palmettes  connected  by  a  vine, 
is  always  attractive.  Yellow  is  often  employed  in  a 
modern  Feraghan,  both  in  the  border  and  in  the  field. 
Quite  an  important  feature  of  Feraghan  and  other 
places  of  high  altitude  is  the  rug-woven  saddlebag. 
When  stuffed,  such  bags  make  comfortable  sofa  pillows, 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  45 

or  they  can  be  placed  as  seats  on  chairs.  Throughout 
Asia,  saddlebags  are  used  by  riders  on  camels  as  cush- 
ions, by  other  travelers  for  containing  clothes  and  other 
goods,  and  by  children  for  their  school  books. 

Gorevan  rugs  are  of  fine  quality  and  well  woven. 
The  hues  are  bright,  and  are  generally  on  a  field  of 
cream  color;  the  centre  represents  a  medallion,  and  the 
border  is  elaborate.  In  one  that  I  recently  saw,  the 
cream-colored  field  in  the  border  was  heavily  worked 
in  fine  reds,  and  in  the  medallion  the  reds  were  com- 
bined with  rich  blues. 

Hamadan  rugs  are  generally  of  camel's  hair,  with 
the  ground-work  in  the  natural  shade.  A  medallion  in 
red,  yellow,  blue,  and  sometimes  green,  decorates  the 
centre,  and  the  rug  is  finished  with  a  border  of  the 
same.  In  other  rugs  from  Hamadan  the  medallion  is 
dispensed  with;  most  of  them  are  floral  in  design,  and 
they  have  borders  of  camel's  hair,  and  a  ground-work 
in  the  natural  color. 

Herat  rugs  of  fine  quality  and  very  durable  are  now 
woven  in  Persia  by  tribes  originally  from  Afghanistan. 
The  principal  designs  are  the  Herati  and  the  palm  leaf, 
arranged  over  the  field  in  a  systematic  way.  Some  of 
the  modern  Herats  have  medallion  centres,  in  which 
the  wool  is  generally  red  or  blue,  and  sometimes  green 
and  yellow. 


46        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Herez  rugs  are  attractive,  the  chief  color  often  being 
a  fine  blue,  upon  which  rests  a  pronounced  medallion. 
The  corners  are  defined  by  serrated  lines,  and  are  in 
shades  of  the  red  of  autumn  leaves.  Often  these  corners 
are  decorated  with  ■  small  designs.  The  main  border 
stripe  is  light  in  color — often  cream— with  good-sized 
markings.  Herez  rugs  are  made  in  the  province  of 
Aberbaijan. 

Iran  is  the  official  name  for  Persia,  and  when  a  rug 
is  called  by  this  name,  the  meaning  is  simply  that  it  is 
a  Persian  rug. 

Karadagh  rugs  are  made  by  nomads  who  are  called 
Aylauts,  and  who  live  in  the  mountainous  region  north 
of  Tabriz.  The  rugs  made  by  these  nomads  are  in 
striking  designs,  and  are  floral  in  effect. 

Kermanshah  rugs  are  made  in  large  sizes  and  with 
elaborate  designs.  The  antiques  are  very  fine,  but  the 
modern  rugs  generally  sold  as  Kermanshah  are  only 
exported  from  that  place,  which  is  a  great  caravan 
centre.     They  are  woven  in  Kirman. 

Rugs  from  the  province  of  Khorassan  are  recog- 
nizable by  their  borders,  which  contain  a  long  palm- 
like or  floral  design.  This  is  a  characteristic  of  antique 
Khorassans.  A  prominent  color  in  these  rugs  is  ma- 
genta, which,  though  somewhat  harsh  at  first,  becomes 
more  agreeable  to  the  eye  when  it  is  softened  by  time. 


KHORASSAN    RUG. 
Size,  lo  X  26. 

This  is  a  perfect  example  of  a  Meshhed  rug.  The 
capital  city  of  Khorassan  has  furnished  many  character- 
istic specimens  of  fine  handicraft,  but  none  more  repre- 
sentative or  beautiful.  Here,  on  a  splendid  rich  blue 
field  is  the  elongated  palm  leaf,  with  its  markings  of 
magenta,  red,  and  blue.  These  palm  leaf  designs  ex- 
tend over  the  entire  fug,  which  is  of  enormous  size. 
The  border  is  in  harmony  with  the  field,  and  in  col- 
oring has  the  sartie  deep,  rich  hues.  The  texture  is  firm 
and  the  rug  is  very  heavy  and  imposing,  with  an  air  of 
solidity  and  strength.  The  illustration  shows  a  section 
of  this  rug,  giving  a  clear  idea  of  its  detail. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Sydney  Richmond  Tabor,  Lake  Forest. 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  47 

Meshhed,  the  capital  city  of  Khorassan,  weaves  rugs  of 
fine  colors;  the  palm  leaf  when  represented  on  this 
rug  is  very  large  and  impressive,  often  on  a  deep  blue 
field.  Animals  and  birds  are  frequently  seen  on  the 
Meshhed  rug. 

The  Kirman  rug,  made  in  the  province  of  Irak- 
Ajemi,  frequently  has  a  medallion  in  the  centre,  en- 
twined with  flowers.  Sometimes  the  Tree  of  Life  is 
represented,  its  branches  bearing  different  fruits,  and 
often  there  are  symbolical  little  birds  in  the  border. 
Sometimes  a  vase  of  flowers  is  the  principal  ornament, 
sometimes  several  small  trees  either  with  or  without 
foliage.  The  Kirman  rug  is  generally  one  of  the  most 
easily  recognizable;  and  its  substantial  quality  and 
lightness  of  weight  make  it  very  useful  as  well  as 
highly  decorative. 

Kurdistan  (the  Persian  portion)  is  a  large  region 
inhabited  by  the  nomadic  tribes  called  Kurds;  and  the 
sheep  and  goats  belonging  to  these  tribes  furnish  the 
fine  wool  that  is  woven  into  Kurdish  rugs.  Dark  blues 
and  reds  form  the  ground-work,  in  the  centre  of  which 
is  a  lozenge  or  large  diamond,  ornamented  with  small 
designs  of  the  palm  leaf.  Frequently,  by  examining 
the  texture,  one  may  discover  a  design  in  colored  wool 
at  each  end. 


48         Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Rugs  woven  in  the  province  of  Laristan  are  without 
regularity  of  design.      Few  are  exported. 

Sarabands  (Serebends)  always  have  a  distinct 
feature  in  the  small  palm  leaves  which  adorn  them. 
These  leaves  have  the  hook  at  the  top  turned  from  left 
to  right  in  one  row,  and  right  to  left  in  the  next.  Usu- 
ally these  palm  leaf  designs  appear  on  a  field  of  old 
rose  or  soft  red.  The  border  is  likely  to  be  floral  and 
with  many  long  lines  of  varied  width,  the  widest  in  an 
ivory  tone.  The  finest  of  these  rugs  is  called  the 
Mir  Saraband. 

Sarakhs  are  rugs  which  frequently  have  inscriptions 
and  floral  designs.     The  field  is  often  of  camel's  hair, 
or  in   deep  rich  reds  and  blues.     The  medallion,    or 
some  other  design,  finds  its  place  in  the  centre.     The 
corner  pieces  are  elaborate.     The  rug  itself  is  heavy. 

Serapi  rugs  have  the  medallion  in  cream  or  ivory, 
and  this  is  surrounded  by  a  floral  design.  These  rugs, 
which  come  in  large  sizes,  frequently  have  inscriptions. 

Shiraz,  the  capital  city  of  Fars,  has  exported  some 
of  the  most  interesting  and  exquisite  rugs  in  existence. 
In  the  sixteenth  century  Shiraz  was  at  the  height  of  its 
prosperity,  and  all  the  neighboring  country  was  noted 
for  its  flocks  of  sheep,  which  produced  the  finest  of 
wool.  Rugs  were  made  at  Shiraz  for  the  reigning 
Shahs,   who  had  palaces  there,   and  the  workmanship 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  49 

displayed  in  them  was  most  beautiful.  The  city  was 
visited  by  an  earthquake  in  1853,  and  since  that  catas- 
trophe the  manufacture  of  rugs  has  not  regained  its 
former  prosperity;  yet  great  improvement  has  been 
shown  in  recent  years,  and  the  same  vegetable  dyes 
are  still  in  use.  The  Shiraz  is  often  called  the  Mecca 
rug,  as  it  is  the  one  frequently  selected  by  pilgrims  to 
that  city.  Deep  rich  blues  are  often  seen  in  a  Shiraz  rug, 
and  frequently  stripes  extend  throughout  the  centre,  as 
well  as  in  the  border,  where  diamond  forms  and  crosses 
are  also  frequently  seen.  The  medallion  and  the  palm 
leaf  are  found  in  this  rug  also.  Rugs  of  Shiraz  design 
are  woven  in  the  south-eastern  part  of  Persia  and  in  the 
northern  part  of  Arabia.  These  have  a  long  fringe, 
and  a  very  wide  piece  of  knitted  warp  at  each  end. 

The  Sinna  rug,  made  in  the  province  of  Irak- 
Ajemi,  has  an  exquisite  sheen  and  is  much  prized.  Its 
nap  is  closely  cut,  and  with  its  pile  like  rich  velvet, 
and  its  fine  coloring,  it  is  most  beautiful.  Sometimes 
peach-blow  and  rose  shades  are  so  portrayed  that  the 
effect  is  fascinating.  The  central  design  is  often  a 
diamond,  or  delicate  tracings  of  the  palm  leaf;  some- 
times flowerets  cover  the  entire  rug.  As  a  rule,  Sinna 
rugs  look  best  when  used  as  table  covers  or  as  hang- 
ings, their  fine  texture  and  delicate  colorings  showing 
in  this  way  to  better  advantage  than  when   they   are 


50        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

placed  upon  the  floor.  When  the  edges  of  these  rugs 
curl,  as  often  happens,  they  should  be  intrusted  to  a 
reliable  mender,  who  can  restore  them. 

Sultanabad  is  one  of  the  most  important  rug  pro- 
ducing regions  of  Western  Asia.  Large  quantities  of 
rugs  from  this  district  are  exported  to  the  United 
States,  and  are  then  frequently  called  Savalans.  The 
variety  of  brilliant  hues  in  these  rugs  is  perhaps  the 
largest  in  Persia.  Sixty  miles  from  Sultanabad  is 
Burujird,  where  rugs  are  also  made. 

Tabriz,  the  capital  city  of  the  province  of  Azer- 
baijan, exports  many  rugs  of  a  floral  type  with  me- 
dallion designs.  Here  are  woven  very  fine  and  beau- 
tiful rugs,  many  of  which  are  made  from  the  combings 
of  sheep.  The  antique  Tabriz  rug  is  of  fine  coloring 
and  meritorious  in  every  way.  The  modern  Tabriz 
is  sometimes  a  little  too  bright,  but  time  softens  its 
hues  and  tones  them  down,  while  many  are  in  soft 
tones  from  the  beginning.  Eleven  rugs  that  I  recently 
examined,  from  a  fresh  importation,  were  of  this  fine 
character.  Many  of  these  are  woven  in  very  large 
sizes,  owing  to  the  demand  for  such.  The  modern 
Tabriz  frequently  has  representations  of  animals  woven 
in  different  parts  of  it,  including  the  border. 

Yezd,  where  the  fire  worshippers  live,  furnishes  rugs 


OLD   GHIORDES   PRAYER   RUG.        /  ". 
Size,  4. 6  X  6.9. 

The  rich  magenta  which  is  the  field  of  this  rug  has 
been  mellowed  by  time.  There  is  throughout  the  rug 
a  softness  and  harmony  of  tone  that  is  very  pleasing. 
The  niche  is  high,  and  the  corner  areas  and  the  border 
are  in  richly  blended  blues  and  yellows,  with  magenta. 
The  delicacy  of  the  floral  designs,  and  the  warmth  of 
tone,  give  it  a  particular  charm. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  Marshall  Field  i^  Co.,  Chicago, 


/    for 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  5i 

with  a  short  pile,  but  these  are  used  chiefly  in  mosques, 
and  seldom  leave  Persia. 

A  fine  Persian  rug  is  valuable,  even  at  the  seat  of 
manufacture.  A  small  one,  measuring  three  by  four- 
and-a-half  feet,  quite  modern,  but  very  fine  and  with 
splendid  colors,  has  been  sold  at  Teheran  for  eight 
hundred  dollars. 


52        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Turkish   Rugs 

The  term  Turkish  Rugs  includes  all  those  rugs 
that  are  manufactured  within  the  Turkish  Empire, 
whether  the  manufacturers  be  Kurds  or  Circassians  or 
Christians;  the  last  of  these  names  comprises  the 
Armenians,  the  Greeks,  and  the  Syrians.  Turkish  rugs 
are  not  so  finely  woven  as  Persian;  they  have  a  longer 
pile  and  looser  texture.  As  they  are  usually  very  soft 
and  thick,  the  foot  when  walking  upon  these  rugs  feels 
as  if  it  were  treading  upon  a  bed  of  moss. 

The  principal  rug-manufacturing  district  of  Turkey 
is  Karajadagh.  Much  weaving  is  done  also  at  Caesarea. 
The  rugs  found  at  Adana  are  generally  from  the  latter 
region,  while  those  sold  at  Urfa  are  either  from  the 
Kurdish  territory  or  from  Persia.  In  Constantinople 
are  seen  rugs  from  almost  every  part  of  Asia,  but  the 
greatest  number  are  from  within  the  Turkish  territory 
of  Transcaucasia. 

Each  rug-weaving  district  of  Turkey  seems  to  have 
a  distinct  and  individual  class  of  rugs ;  and  this  is  not 
surprising,  for  there  are  a  number  of  different  tribes, 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  53 

each  of  which  impresses  its  individuality  upon  the  work. 
The  surface  configuration  and  the  climate  of  a  place  have 
much  to  do  with  the  quality  of  the  rugs  manufactured 
within  it.  Naturally  in  the  rocky,  mountainous  regions 
the  flocks  consist  of  goats  instead  of  sheep.  The  sheep 
would  be  injured  among  the  steep,  sharp  crags,  and 
much  of  their  wool  would  be  lost,  as  it  would  adhere  to 
the  rocks.  The  goats,  however,  being  hardy,  easily  jump 
from  crag  to  crag,  sustaining  no  injury  to  their  hair. 

The  hair  of  the  goat  is  woven  into  the  mohair  and 
so-called  Smyrna  rugs,  and  also  into  what  is  known  as 
Paul's  Tent  Cloth.  This  last  is  woven  quite  differently 
from  other  rugs ;  it  is  the  coarsest  of  all,  and  the  women 
weave  it  on  the  ground.  To  make  it  firm  enough  to 
keep  out  every  drop  of  rain  requires  laborious  work 
with  the  fingers,  but  when  the  cloth  is  woven  with  care, 
it  is  a  most  excellent  shelter  from  the  storm.  A  large 
Paul's  Tent,  such  as  a  rich  man  owns,  costs  about  four 
hundred  dollars.  It  shelters  the  women  of  the  house- 
hold, as  well  as  the  cattle;  and  one  part  is  partitioned 
off  for  a  guest  room. 

In  Turkey  the  floor  is  always  covered  with  matting, 
and  the  matting,  in  its  turn,  is  so  closely  covered  with 
rugs  as  to  be  quite  concealed.  In  large  cities  rugs  are 
used  in  the  summer  for  divan  and  couch  covers;  in  the 
winter  the  same  rugs  serve  as  beds. 


54        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Characteristics  of  Certain  Turkish  Rugs 

Akhissar  rugs  have  a  thick  pile,  and  are  loosely 
woven.  Their  colors  are  usually  green  and  red.  Rugs 
of  mohair  are  made  at  Akhissar. 

Anatolian  mats  are  common  in  Asia  Minor,  where 
they  are  used  by  the  natives  for  pillows.  They  are 
soft  to  the  cheek,  and  of  fairly  firm  dyes.  The  designs 
are  varied  and  many. 

Bergamo  rugs  have  quite  a  long,  silky  pile,  and  are 
of  very  good  quality.  The  designs  are  either  large 
geometrical  figures,  or  floral  in  character.  Orange  is 
a  usual  color,  while  pale  greens,  reds,  soft  blues,  and 
browns  are  also  common.  The  size  of  a  Bergamo  is 
usually  about  three  to  six  feet  wide,  by  four  to  eight 
feet  long. 

Ghiordes  rugs  have  designs  that  are  generally  similar 
to  the  Persian.  Often  there  is  a  small  plain  centre  of 
green  or  light  magenta,  or  a  blue,  with  a  deep  border 
of  fine  floral  effect.     These  rugs  are  loosely  woven. 

Karaman  has  a  considerable  trade  with  Smyrna.  Its 
rugs  are  coarse,  loosely  woven,  and  not  at  all  attractive. 


KHILIM. 
Size,   1 2. 2  X  5. 6. 

This  is  an  unusually  fine  specimen  of  the  antique 
Shirvan  Khilim.  Its  hues  are  softened  by  time,  and 
the  contrasting  colors  are  so  carefully  blended  that  the 
artistic  effect  is  not  lost.  This  Khilim  has  been  care- 
fully woven,  and  is  firm  and  durable.  The  broad  bands 
of  apple  and  green  and  other  hues,  interrupted  by  nar- 
rower bands,  give  a  certain  character  and  strength  of 
appearance  to  this  beautiful  piece  of  Oriental  work- 
manship. Some  of  the  bands  are  embroidered  with 
much  skill. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Robert  Dunlap,  Chicago. 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  55 

Kir-  Shehr  rugs  are  made  in  the  province  of  Angora. 
Because  of  their  durability  and  thickness  they  are  both 
useful  and  desirable.  Their  colorings  are  rather  strong, 
but  fine;  green  is  the  most  usual  color,  although  red 
and  blue  are  frequent.  The  designs  are  mostly  of 
Arabic  origin,  and  quite  highly  decorative. 

Konieh  rugs  are  of  great  weight  and  resemble 
Ouchaks.  They  usually  have  a  plain  centre,  and  when 
there  are  panels  these  are  also  of  one  shade.  Being 
firm  and  strong,  they  are  very  durable. 

The  modern  loosely  woven  Kulah  rugs  are  not 
equal  in  any  way  to  the  antiques.  The  latter  have 
fine  texture,  and  are  in  soft  shades  of  blue,  red,  and 
yellow.  The  modern  Kulahs  have  a  coarse  aspect, 
and  the  coloring  is  generally  fugitive. 

In  Kurdistan  (the  Turkish  portion)  rugs  are  woven 
by  the  women  in  odd  moments,  and  one  of  the  ways  a 
girl  gains  distinction  among  her  associates  is  by  the 
skill  she  displays  in  rug-weaving.  As  the  wool  is  taken 
from  the  flocks  that  are  kept  near  home,  and  is  spun 
and  dyed  there,  and  as  the  time  consumed  in  the  rug- 
weaving  is  not  counted,  each  rug  is  considered  clear 
gain.  In  fact,  the  Kurdish  women  do  not  make  their 
rugs  entirely  for  the  market,  but  for  their  own  enter- 
tainment and  use. 


56        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Kurdish  rugs  are  very  durable,  and  they  are  much 
prized  in  Turkey ;  but  they  do  not  sell  readily  in 
America,  because  of  the  lack  of  that  harmony  of  color 
which  our  taste  demands.  Their  coloring  is  often  too 
bright  and  varied  to  attract  us.  An  Armenian  clergy- 
man said  to  the  writer  recently,  "I  find  Americans 
more  devoted  to  harmony  than  to  anything  else.  I 
have  in  my  house, "  he  continued,  "one  of  the  finest  of 
Kurdish  rugs,  but  I  could  never  sell  it  in  this  country, 
should  I  wish.  An  American  looks  at  it  and  says, 
'What  hideous  colors, '  and  I  doubt  if  I  could  even  give 
it  away,  although  it  would  be  considered  a  superior 
rug  in  Turkey. ' ' 

Kutahia  sends  out  Anatolian  rugs  of  goat's  hair 
and  wool. 

Ladik  rugs  come  in  small  sizes,  and  are  of  coarse 
quality  with  bright  colorings.  Antique  Ladiks  are 
difficult  to  find,  and  are  much  better  in  every  wav  than 
those  of  modern  make. 

The  loosely  woven  Meles  rugs  are  made  at  Milassa. 
Reds,  blues,  yellows,  and  greens  of  fugitive  character 
are  seen  in  the  modern  ones. 

Mohair  rugs  are  made  of  the  soft  silky  hair  of  the 
Angora  goat ;  but  though  beautiful,  they  are  not  durable. 

Mosul  rugs  are  strong  and  rich  in  colorings  of  blue, 
yellow,  green,  and  red.     The  designs  are  rather  strik- 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  57 

ing,  and  with  their  silky  softness,  these  rugs  are 
generally  desirable.  The  best  are  made  of  camel's 
hair,  including  the  outer  border,  but  occasionally  they 
are  made  partly  of  goat's  hair.  They  are  now  made  in 
several  Turkish  provinces,  and  are  often  wrongly  called 
Persian  rugs. 

At  Ouchak,  with  its  large  population,  there  are 
steadily  at  work  about  two  thousand  looms,  giving 
employment  to  fully  four  thousand  weavers,  and  as 
many  as  one  hundred  and  fifty  dyers.  Ouchak  is  the 
principal  city  of  Asiatic  Turkey  for  the  dyeing  of  the 
wool  of  which  the  rugs  are  woven,  and  that  industry  is 
carried  on  in  many  factories.  Ouchak  rugs  have  a  thick 
pile;  and  though  green  is  forbidden  by  Mohammedan 
law,  the  modern  rugs  frequently  have  green  for  their 
dominant  color.  The  reason  for  this  innovation  is  that 
the  influence  of  their  religious  faith  has  waned,  and  con- 
sequently the  law  regarding  that  color  is  not  now 
strictly  enforced.  The  weavers  of  these  rugs  are  mostly 
Moslem  women  and  girls.  The  wool  is  generally 
bought  in  the  interior  from  nomad  tribes,  and  the  weav- 
ing is  carried  on  in  private  houses  in  a  manner  similar 
to  that  of  other  rugs,  except  that  the  yarn  is  spun  more 
loosely.  Until  recently,  even  the  best  Ouchak  rugs 
were  apt  to  have  inferior  wool  for  their  foundation,  and 
hemp  was  frequently  employed.    The  wool  was  loosely 


58        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

woven,  and  the  dyes  were  fugitive.  There  are  now, 
however,  certain  provinces  in  Turkey,  including  Ouchak, 
where  the  products  are  controlled  by  European  and 
American  firms,  and  where  excellent  wool  and  natural 
dyes  are  used.  The  rugs  made  under  such  control  are 
very  durable  and  in  every  way  satisfactory.  In  size 
Ouchaks  vary  greatly,  ranging  from  a  few  feet  to  fifty 
by  twenty-five  feet 

The  Turkish  rugs  made  at  Sivas  are  always  woven 
of  wool,  and  almost  every  hamlet  carries  on  the  industry 
of  weaving  in  the  homes.  There  are  no  factories,  the 
young  girls  and  women  doing  the  work  here,  as  in 
other  parts  of  Turkey.  Sivas  rugs  are  in  most  cases 
small,  measuring  about  eight  by  four  feet;  but  lately 
larger  and  more  attractive  rugs  are  being  made.  Even 
the  poorest  families  have  fine  rugs,  for  they  regard 
them  as  valuable  property,  to  be  sold  only  under  the 
pressure  of  great  extremity.  The  weavers  are  so  frugal 
in  their  manner  of  living  that  their  daily  earning  of 
fourteen  to  nineteen  cents  is  sufficient  to  supply  their 
wants.  Their  food  consists  usually  of  rice  and  crushed 
wheat,  with  occasionally  a  small  piece  of  mutton. 

Smyrna  is  only  a  mart  for  the  sale  of  comparatively 
inferior  rugs  that  are  made  in  the  interior  from  the 
coarse  hair  of  the  Angora  goat.  These  are  woven  in 
irregular  designs,  and  although  not  artistic  are  largely 


ouc 


ARABIAN    RUG. 
Size,  4. 10  X  7.5. 


>  Although  distinctly  Arabic  in  style,  this  rug  was 
probably  woven  in  the  vicinity  of  Shiraz.  The  squares 
which  form  the  design  resemble  an  old-fashioned  iog 
quilt  in  the  variety  of  their  colors  and  the  regularity  '6f 
their  stripes.  Some  hues  are  green,  then  red  comes 
into  play,  while  plum,  brown,  yellow,  and  blue  are  also 
employed.  The  wide  border  of  stripes  shows  the 
Shiraz  ornamentation  in  its  beauty,  and  the  Greek 
crosses  suggest  the  possibility  of  a  Christian  weaver. 
There  is  a  fine  sheen  on  the  surface.  This  rug  is  quite 
heavy,  and  its  very  oddity  makes  it  interesting  to  1:he 
collector. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  Marshall  Field  £sf  Co.,  Chicago. 


i^M^t^i 


'•**""'*»'»j<w<i^i^'»'"5r''T7^"7T«J'PJlBL  , 


Egypt,  Persia,  and  Turkey  59 

sought  as  coverings  for  the  bare  floors,  and  to  add 
warmth.  The  weaving  of  these  rugs  is  loosely  done 
by  girls  and  women.  Sometimes  the  loom  is  primi- 
tively constructed  from  the  trunks  of  trees.  The  designs 
are  very  simple,  and  have  either  been  handed  down 
from  earlier  generations  or  are  supplied  from  the  city. 

Yuruk  rugs  are  so  called  from  a  band  of  nomads 
who  dwell  among  the  mountains  of  Anatolia.  They 
have  large  flocks  of  fine  sheep,  and  weave  rugs  of  firm, 
even  texture.  The  colors  are  very  good,  the  field  often 
of  dark  brown,  ornamented  with  large  designs. 

In  different  sections  of  Turkey,  the  webs  that  might 
be  used  as  rugs  are  made  into  saddlebags,  sacks,  and 
khilims. 


Ill 


RUG-WEAVING    IN   INDIA 
AFGHANISTAN,    BELUCHISTAN 
TURKOMAN,  AND 
CAUCASUS 


RUG-WEAVING    IN    INDIA 
AND    CENTRAL   ASIA 


Indian   Rugs 

'TT^HE  manufacture  of  rugs  was  introduced  into  India 
-*■  by  the  Mohammedans  at  their  first  invasion  in 
the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century.  Persian  rugs, 
however,  were  always  preferred  to  those  made  in 
India,  and  princes  and  nobles  of  the  Delhi  Court,  when 
it  was  in  its  greatest  splendor,  sought  the  fabrics 
woven  in  Herat,  or  by  the  Sharrokhs  on  the  Attrek,  or 
the  nomad  tribes  of  Western  Kurdistan.  These  were 
purchased  only  by  the  princes  and  their  wealthy 
followers.  A  few  specimens  of  these  rugs  still  remain 
in  India,  and  are  now  and  then  reproduced  with  more 
or  less  accuracy. 

In  the  sixteenth  century,  however,  the  Emperor 
Akbar,  or  more  properly  Jalal-ud-Din  Mahomed,  sent 
for  Persian  weavers  to  make  the  exquisite  fabrics  for 
which  Persia  was  then  so  famous.  At  first  these 
weavers  continued  to  weave  according  to  the  designs 
employed    in  their  own  land;  but  it  is  not  surprising 


^4        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

that  as  time  went  on,  and  the  natives  of  India  learned 
the  art  of  weaving  from  the  Persians,  Hindoo  ideas 
should  have  found  expression,  in  Southern  India 
especially.  Thus  geometrical  designs  were  substituted 
for  floral,  although  even  now  the  designs  of  some 
Indian  rugs  revive  memories  of  Persian  teachers  in 
the  careful  arrangement  of  flowers  and  leaves.  The 
designs  of  Indian  rugs  were  frequently  named  after 
the  original  owners,  in  which  cases  the  weavers 
generally  lived  and  worked  in  the  houses  of  their 
employers.  At  the  present  time  the  manufacture  of 
many  Indian  rugs  is  carried  on  largely  in  jails,  where 
the  old  Persian  designs  are  generally  used. 

In  Indian  rugs,  as  in  those  of  other  countries, 
there  are  certain  distinct  characteristics  that  stamp 
them  as  coming  from  particular  districts,  and  in  India 
alone  are  to  be  detected  the  few  Assyrian  types  still 
in  existence.  Genuine  old  India  rugs  are  works  of 
art,  but  they  are  rarely  seen. 

The  religion  of  the  Hindoo  does  not  permit  of  his 
tasting  the  flesh  of  sheep  ;  and  as  India  is  not  a  wool 
producing  country,  except  in  the  northern  part,  cotton 
largely  takes  its  place.  For  this  reason,  and  because 
the  time  consumed  for  weaving  is  less,  Indian  rugs  are 
generally  less  expensive  than  Persian. 

Mr.  Julian  Ralph,  in  an  interesting  account  of  his 


INDIAN    PRAYER   RUG. 
Size,    5.10x3.4. 

This  rug  is  a  modern  product  of  India.  The  prayer 
niche,  with  long  lines  leading  to  it,  extends  well  toward 
the  top.  The  niche  is  decorated  with  a  delicate,  dark 
blue,  floral  design  in  ivory,  red,  and  fawn,  and  the  lines 
leading  to  it  are  ornamented  in  blue,  red,  and  brown. 
The  field  is  a  beautiful  sage  green,  and  the  main  border 
is  embellished  with  reds,  browns,  ivory,  and  occasion- 
ally with  light  blue.  The  outer  border  is  of  the  same 
green  as  the  field.  At  each  end  is  a  full  fringe.  This 
rug  is  from  Amritsar. 

rtnit  '"t^    ills 
Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  A.  A.  Fan  tine  ts"  Co.,  New  fori.' 


India  and  Central  Asia  ^5 

visit  to  the  home  of  a  prince  in  India,  published 
recently  in  one  of  our  magazines,  writes  of  the 
splendid  rugs  shown  him  by  his  host:  "They  were 
state  rugs,  and  one  was  green  with  a  border  of  gold 
that  must  have  weighed  twenty  pounds  or  more.  The 
other  was  red  with  a  similar  border,  so  stiff  and  cum- 
brous that  it  did  not  seem  made  to  walk  upon.  How- 
ever, the  prince  sent  for  his  stiff-soled  heavy-heeled 
ceremonial  shoes  which  were  quite  as  richly  crusted  with 
gold,  and  walked  about  on  the  rugs,  crushing  the  gold 
embroidery  in  a  ruthless  way. ' '  When  Mr.  Ralph  spoke 
of  the  damage,  he  said,  "It  is  of  no  consequence, 
these  borders  have  to  be  renewed  very  frequently. ' ' 

An  Indian  rug  of  great  beauty  was  taken  to  Eng- 
land from  India  by  Lord  Clive,  who  ordered  the 
architect  of  his  magnificent  palace — Claremont — then 
in  process  of  building,  to  design  a  room  especially  for 
it.  Such  special  care  for  the  proper  display  of  this 
work  of  art  may  be  exceptional,  but  it  shows  true 
appreciative  power  on  the  part  of  Clive. 

From  the  time  of  the  decadence  of  the  industry  of 
weaving  fine  shawls,  which  was  so  long  a  feature  of 
Kashmir,  the  wool  of  which  they  were  woven  was 
gradually  transferred  to  the  rug  industry,  and  the 
weavers  turned  their  attention  from  the  shawls  to  the 
rugs  on  which  they  displayed  the  same  patience  and  skill. 


66        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Characteristics  of  Certain  Indian  Rugs 

Agra  sends  out  very  satisfactory  rugs.  These  are 
mostly  of  great  weight  and  thickness.  Many  of  the 
best  are  woven  in  the  jail.  The  finest  specimen  that  I 
have  seen  belongs  to  Mrs.  Potter  Palmer  of  Chicago, 
and  is  a  duplicate  of  one  owned  by  Mrs.  Frederick  D. 
Grant.  The  rug  is  of  enormous  size  and  weight,  and 
the  tree  design  is  arranged  in  shades  of  exquisite  blue 
upon  a  field  of  delicate  fawn  color.  The  border,  in  the 
same  coloring,  gives  the  most  perfect  harmony  to  the 
entire  rug.  Many  more  Agra  rugs  would  be  imported, 
but  there  is  now  a  United  States  law  prohibiting  the 
importation  of  goods  made  in  jail. 

Allahabad  rugs  are  similar  to  those  of  Agra,  but 
the  former  are  as  a  rule  preferable. 

Amritsar  supplies  the  market  with  some  of  the 
finest  of  modern  Indian  rugs.  Leading  English  and 
American  firms  have  factories  located  there,  and  for 
that  reason  rugs  brought  into  the  Occident  from  Am- 
ritsar are  reliable.  They  are  firm  in  texture,  and  have 
fast  colors.     The  manufacturers  realize  the  importance 


India  and  Central  Asia  ^7 

of  these  attributes  in  a  rug,  and  their  own  respon- 
sibility in  the  matter. 

The  Dhurrie  (Durrie)  is  a  strong,  well-made  rug  of 
cotton,  often  in  stripes  of  blue,  brown,  or  grey,  with 
narrow  yellow  and  red  lines.  Some  Dhurries  end  in  a 
fringe,  and  are  square.  In  India  they  are  largely  used 
by  the  foreign  population,  and  in  the  United  States 
they  are  especially  appropriate  for  summer  time.  They 
are  made  chiefly  at  Agra,  Cawnpur,  Delhi,  Lucknow, 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  Bombay. 

Ellore  rugs  belong  to  the  inexpensive  class,  but  the 
designs  and  colors  are  pleasing.  As  they  are  made 
chiefly  of  fibre  mixed  with  wool,  they  are  not  durable. 

Formerly  Haidarabad  sent  out  rugs  famous  for 
their  beauty,  with  designs  in  the  forms  of  medallions, 
filled  with  flat  floral  ornaments  and  woven  with  wool 
pile  on  a  cotton  foundation.  But  the  modern  Hai- 
darabad by  no  means  compares  with  the  antique. 

Jaipur  rugs  are  generally  made  in  the  schools  of 
art.  They  contain  many  Persian  designs  representing 
animals  and  the  cypress  tree.  The  borders  are  floral, 
and  the  field  is  generally  ivory,  red,  or  blue. 

Lahore,  the  British  capital  of  the  Punjab,  has  rugs 
woven  in  both  wool  and  cotton,  and  the  work  is  done 
mostly  in  jails.  The  designs  are  Persian,  and  the 
texture  embraces  from  forty  to  one  hundred  knots  to 
the  square  inch. 


^        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Masulipatam  rugs  were  once  noted  for  their  beauty, 
but  now  many  of  them  are  poor  in  design  and  work- 
manship. 

Mirzapur  rugs  are  sometimes  wrongly  sold  for 
Turkish,  which  they  somewhat  resemble.  The  antiques 
are  very  durable,  but  this  cannot  be  said  of  all  the  modern 
ones,  the  vegetable  fibre  that  is  used  in  part  in  the  con- 
struction of  them  not  being  durable.  Few  are  exported 
to  the  United  States. 

Moodj  is  the  name  given  to  a  coarse  hardy  mat, 
suitable  for  the  verandah.  It  is  made  of  Buffalo  grass, 
which  grows  six  to  twelve  feet  high  in  India.  This 
is  harvested,  the  fibre  extracted  by  pounding,  and 
then  it  is  twisted  into  rope  or  yarn.  Afterwards  it 
is  dyed. 

Multan  rugs  have  large  geometrical  figures  in  octa- 
gons, medallions,  and  circles.  These  rugs  are  very 
lasting.  Their  general  coloring  is  of  dark  red  and  blue. 
Sometimes  a  really  beautiful  modern  Multan  is  dis- 
covered. Occasionally  an  emerald  green  or  a  yellow 
alternates  with  the  usual  reds  and  blues.  The  modern 
ones  are  not  largely  imported  into  the  United  States. 
The  antique  Multan  is  very  fine,  but  scarce. 

Mysore  rugs  are  cheap  and  not  interesting. 

Patna  rugs  are  usually  in  blue  and  white;  in  quality 
they  resemble  the  modern  Multan. 


India  and  Central  Asia  69 

Pushmina  rugs  have  their  name  from  the  man- 
ufacturers, who  thus  designate  rugs  that  are  woven  of 
pashim. 

Rugs  from  Sindh  are  the  cheapest  and  least  durable 
of  all  Indian  rugs,  and  on  this  account  not  many  are 
imported  into  the  United  States. 

Srinagar,  the  capital  city  of  Kashmir,  makes  very 
beautiful  rugs  from  the  finest  wool.  This  is  soft  and 
silky,  and  as  natural  dyes  are  employed,  the  Srinagar 
rugs,  as  well  as  many  other  rugs  from  the  northern  por- 
tion of  India,  are  highly  valued. 

To  show  the  beauty  and  delicacy  of  some  of  the  old 
rugs,  I  may  mention  that  one  was  made  at  Warangul, 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  which  contained  3, 500, 000 
knots  on  its  entire  surface,  or  400  knots  to  the  square 
inch,  and  the  designs  were  so  complicated,  that  a 
change  of  needle  was  required  for  every  knot. 

Leading  importers  now  give  names  to  designate  the 
different  qualities  of  India  rugs,  and  therefore  the  name 
borne  by  a  rug  does  not  necessarily  indicate  the  district 
in  which  it  was  woven. 


70        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Afghanistan  Rugs 

Afghanistan  rugs  are  generally  large  and  nearly 
square.  They  are  coarser  than  the  Turkoman  rugs,  but 
resemble  them  in  color  and  design.  The  Afghans,  how- 
ever, are  more  striking,  the  octagon  designs  being 
larger  and  bolder.  At  Kabul,  the  capital  city  at 
Afghanistan,  and  in  other  cities,  rugs  are  found  which 
are  made  by  the  nomad  tribes  on  the  frontier.  The 
same  tribes  weave  also  the  cotton  and  silk  rugs  said 
to  be  woven  at  Bhawulpore,  India.  The  Great  Rug  in 
the  Palace  of  Chehel  Sitoon  (forty  pillars)  at  Ispahan, 
Persia,  is  said  to  be  the  largest  ever  woven,  and  to 
measure  about  sixty  feet  long  by  thirty  feet  wide.  This 
rug  was  made  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  is  of  Herat 
design  and  manufacture.  Owing  to  political  disturb- 
ances, weavers  from  Herat  have  settled  in  the  province 
of  Khorassan,  Persia,  and  prefer  to  call  that  their  home. 

Some  rugs  have  a  strong  odor,  which  is  especially 
noticeable  in  those  of  Afghanistan.  The  reason  for 
the  presence  of  the  odor  is  that  the  animal's  hair  has 
not    been    properly    washed.      Nothing    but    frequent 


AFGHANISTAN    RUG. 
Size,  9. 5  X  7.6. 

This  rug  has  a  remarkably  soft  yet  firm  texture. 
The  rough  beauty  and  the  fine  coloring  are  very  at- 
tractive. The  field  is  a  rich  shade  of  red  verging 
toward  the  hue  of  a  blood  orange,  and  again  gleaming 
with  far  deeper  hues.  The  large  octagons  are  defined 
by  a  very  narrow  dark  brown  line.  Two  sides  of  these 
octagons  are  in  a  deep,  sapphire  blue,  while  the  remain- 
ing two  sides  are  of  an  orange  cast.  The  octagon  sec- 
tions are  all  ornamented,  the  small  red  diamonds  at  the 
edges  being  separated  by  dark  green  lines.  The 
lattice-work  design  in  the  squares  of  the  border  of  the 
rug  are  decorated  with  green  and  ivory,  the  latter  in 
the  hook  design.  The  centres  of  all  the  octagons  are 
of  the  orange  shade,  and  one  only  is  crossed  through 
the  centre,  the  markings  being  knots  of  green.  Large 
diamond  forms,  barred  with  sapphire  blue  and  rich 
green,  are  between  the  octagons  on  the  field.  Oc- 
casionally a  small  geometrical  figure  in  either  blue  or 
green,  with  pale  yellow  or  ivory,  is  seen.  The  rug  was 
woven  in  that  northern  region  of  Afghanistan  known 
as  Afghan -Turkestan. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mr.  George  tlubbard  Holt,  Chicago. 


'•mtk 


India  and  Central  Asia  7i 

airing  seems  to  be  effective  in  carrying  it  away, 
although  certain  atmospheric  changes  are  likely  to 
affect  it  A  damp,  wet  day  brings  out  the  odor 
strongly.  Fortunately  this  disturbing  element  is  not 
in  all  Afghan  rugs. 


72        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Beluchistan  Rugs 

There  is  a  similarity  in  the  designs  of  Beluchistan 
rugs  to  those  of  the  Afghans  and  the  Turkomans.  The 
design  is  generally  geometrical  in  part,  and  rather 
bold  in  effect,  although  not  so  striking  as  that  of  the 
Afghan.  The  coloring  is  mostly  in  dark  shades  of  blue 
and  red,  often  with  lines  of  orange  and  white  mixed 
with  the  reds  and  blues.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  lustre 
in  the  rug,  which  is  accounted  for  partly  by  the  great 
abundance  of  horse  hair,  goat's  hair,  and  camel's  hair 
that  is  woven  into  it.  The  Beluch  is  a  durable  rug, 
and  when  in  soft  good  colors  is  very  pleasing. 

Some  of  the  finest  specimens  are  occasionally  sold 
as  blue  Bokharas,  and  people  who  imagine  that  they 
have  purchased  one  of  the  latter  are  likely  to  find  them- 
selves the  possessors  of  a  good  Beluch;  for  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  a  blue  Bokhara. 


India  and  Central  Asia  73 


Turkoman   Rugs 

Turkoman  rugs  are  woven  by  nomad  tribes  living 
in  Central  Asia.  The  tribes  are  known  as  the  Goklan, 
Sarik,  Tekke,  and  Yomud,  and  all  weave  exquisite  fab- 
rics ;  they  take  the  greatest  care  in  every  way  to  have 
their  work  perfectly  done.  In  order  to  give  fixity  to  the 
color  the  dyer  steeps  the  wool  in  a  mordant  of  alum 
and  water ;  the  dye  is  almost  invariably  brought  from 
Bokhara.  At  Ashkabad  the  Turkomans  dye  the  wool 
themselves  when  it  is  intended  to  be  yellow,  but  when 
any  other  shade  is  desired  they  send  it  to  the  city  to  be 
dyed.  Often  shades  of  green  and  brown  are  used  as  a 
foundation,  and  a  beautiful  rose  shade  is  sometimes 
employed,  on  a  creamy  ground. 

One  rug  made  by  the  Turkomans  is  of  camel's  hair 
and  when  the  hair  is  intended  for  this  purpose  the 
animal  is  most  tenderly  cared  for.  Every  day,  the  camel 
is  carefully  washed,  and  all  the  loose  hairs  are  saved  to 
make  the  foundation  of  the  rug.  Sometimes  rugs  of  this 
description  have  embroidered  designs  worked  in  them, 
and  even  the  irregular  designs  in  Turkoman  rugs  are 


74        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

supposed  to  bring  good  luck.  The  Turkoman  rugs 
supply  the  market  at  Bokhara  and  Meshhed.  The  floors 
of  native  houses  are  usually  covered  with  such  rugs, 
each  of  which  generally  measures  about  six  or  seven 
feet  long  by  four  or  five  wide.  They  frequently  have 
a  fringe  at  each  end. 

The  Tekke  Turkoman  rugs  are  woven  by  the  women 
of  that  tribe;  they  are  known  in  this  country  as  Bok- 
hara rugs.  The  design  has  little  variety,  and  generally 
the  rugs  are  among  the  easiest  to  distinguish.  The 
design  is  usually  octagon,  in  white  or  ivory  tones  upon 
a  field  of  red  or  old  rose.  Sometimes  orange  and 
green  are  worked  in,  and  frequently  a  rich  blue. 
Brown  and  black,  with  white,  are  also  used  in  the  lines 
of  division  or  in  the  border.  Sometimes  the  designs 
of  these  rugs  are  more  complex.  The  more  markings 
they  have,  the  better,  and  the  white  should  be  of  the 
ivory  tone,  not  the  dead  white,  which  conveys  too 
strongly  an  appearance  of  newness.  There  is  a  man 
in  the  United  States  who  has  a  secret  process  for  dyeing 
Tekke  Turkoman  rugs  a  certain  shade  of  brown,  and 
people  who  have  had  their  rugs  changed  to  this  color 
seem  as  a  rule  satisfied  with  the  result.  But  what  can 
improve  the  original  color,  especially  when  in  the  rich 
old  red  shades? 

The  Tekke  Turkomans  use  their  rugs  as  portieres, 


TEKKfi  TURKOMAN  OR  BOKHARA  MAT. 
Size,  6  X  3. 1. 

The  field  of  this  mat  is  of  a  deep  rose  hue,  with  a'^'- 
soft  lustrous  sheen.      The  texture  is   like  velvet,    andf^n 
every  stitch  shows  that  the  mat  has  been  woven  withi^- 
the  greatest  care.     The  octagons  are  divided  into  four 
sections   by    distinct   lines.      The    colors   are    orange, 
turquoise  blue,  and  a  deep  blue  with  markings  of  yellow 
and  ivory.      Between  the  octagons  are   eight-pointed 
stars.     The  border  is  minute  in  detail,   and  the  mat 
itself  is  a  genuine  treasure. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mr.  Ralph  Oliver  Smith,  Chicago. 


India  and  Central  Asia  75 

for  divan  coverings,  and  for  floor  coverings.  Rich  in 
coloring  and  very  durable,  these  rugs  are  much  prized. 
In  the  Yomud  Turkoman  rug  the  design  most  fre- 
quently seen  is  the  diamond,  surrounded  by  the  hook. 
The  weaving  is  very  satisfactory,  and  the  coloring  in 
soft  reds  is  particularly  good.  In  some  odd  and  rare 
pieces  among  the  Yomud  Turkomans,  blue  figures  con- 
spicuously, as  does  green  also.  The  border  in  these 
rugs  is  sometimes  in  stripes,  sometimes  in  a  sort  of 
crudely  drawn  vine. 


76         Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Other  Turkoman  Rugs 

The  Genghis  rugs  are  woven  by  a  tribe  of  Turko- 
mans who  live  the  life  of  nomads.  They  are  named 
after  Genghis  Khan,  the  great  Mogul  conqueror  who 
invaded  Central  Asia  in  the  year  1218. 

The  Genghis  rugs  (often  called  Guendje)  are  woven 
of  strong  goat's  hair  or  of  wool,  and  have  quite  a  long 
pile.  The  designs  are  in  geometrical  forms,  and  the 
color  most  abundantly  used  is  white. 

Kashgar  rugs  are  made  in  East  Turkestan.  They 
are  quite  coarse,  with  designs  of  a  Chinese  character 
in  strong  coloring.  Yellows  and  a  sort  of  lead-white 
are  much  used  in  these  rugs;  again  blues  and  ivory 
white  are  seen,  while  reds,  pinks,  greens,  and  a  deep 
orange  are  common.  The  Chinese  fret,  the  dragon, 
and  fishes  are  among  the  designs  employed.  The  Tree 
of  Life  is  of  frequent  occurrence,  but  is  a  crude 
representation. 

Khiva  rugs  are  woven  by  Turkomans  inhabiting 
Central  Asia.  The  firmness,  durability,  and  bold 
grandeur  of   these  rugs   render  them   very   pleasing. 


India  and  Central  Asia  17 

Well-toned  shades  of  red,  blue,  tan,  ivory,  and  an  oc- 
casional green  are  the  usual  colors.  Sometimes  a 
Khiva  has  a  long  panel  centre,  with  a  prayer  niche.  In 
many  fine  specimens  the  lustre  is  an  added  attraction. 

Samarkand  rugs  are  a  product  of  Central  Asia. 
They  show  distinctly  Chinese  characteristics.  Some- 
times the  field  is  covered  with  round  medallions,  from 
one  to  five  in  number,  holding  odd  figures.  The 
Chinese  fret  is  common  in  the  design,  and  sometimes  a 
large  crude  flower  arrangement  is  noticed.  Reds, 
blues,  a  soft  fawn,  white,  and  much  yellow,  especially 
in  the  border,  are  the  usual  colors.  Soft  and  heavy, 
these  rugs  have  a  distinctive  character,  and  are  attract- 
ive. Their  texture,  however,  is  quite  thin,  and  they 
are  not  very  durable. 

Yarkand  rugs  are  very  similar  to  Kashgar  rugs, 
having  the  same  general  characteristics. 


78        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Caucasian  Rugs 

Caucasus  is  a  general  government  belonging  to 
Russia,  and  including  Transcaucasia.  The  designs  of 
the  many  rugs  woven  in  this  section  of  country  are  all 
parts  of  a  system,  and  each  design  bears  certain  marks 
whereby  its  class  may  be  identified. 

Daghestan  rugs  are  made  in  fine  wools,  and  the 
mosaic  designs  are  generally  beautifully  and  skillfully 
done.  The  figures  are  nearly  always  geometrical,  and 
in  the  form  of  diamonds,  long  octagons,  lozenges, 
hooks,  and  small  crosses.  The  colors  of  the  best 
Daghestans  are  so  well  selected,  that  although  there  is 
no  shading  there  is  seldom  anything  aggressive  or 
startling  in  the  effect.  Blues,  reds,  yellows,  ivory, 
and  other  hues  are  chiefly  used.  The  rug  has  a  short, 
close  pile,  and  although  the  texture  is  rather  thin,  the 
rug  is  very  durable. 

Derbent  rugs,  though  woven  at  Derbent,  the  chief 
city  of  the  province  of  Daghestan,  differ  somewhat 
from  the  Daghestans  proper,  being  much  softer  and 
thicker.     They  are  also  more  loosely  woven,  and  have 


DAGHESTAN   RUG. 

Size,  7x3.5. 

This  rug  has  a  fine  texture  and  is  straighter  than 
most  Daghestans.  It  is  an  antique,  but  its  colors  are 
as  fast  and  clear  as  when  it  was  first  woven.  It  has 
been  cleaned  again  and  again,  but  nothing  seems  to  dim 
its  hues.  The  field  of  light  blue  is  thickly  studded  with 
large  and  small  geometrical  figures  in  reds,  '  yellows, 
and  white.  Some  of  the  forms  are  in  the  lozenge 
design,  with  colors  in  red  and  yellow,  the  reds  contain- 
ing fine  shadings  of  blue.  Again  square  forms  are 
seen,  many  holding  the  same  colors,  ornamented  with 
contrasting  but  harmonious  hues.  In  the  centre  are 
two  geometrical  figures  of  considerable  size,  one  in 
yellow,  and  one  in  red.  Each  of  these  has  yellow  and 
white  in  its  centre.  On  either  side  are  still  larger 
forms  in  yellow  and  blue.  The  border  is  geometrical, 
the  hook  design  in  a  bracket  being  in  evidence,  and 
outside  of  this  is  a  narrower  stripe  in  red,  white,  black, 
and  yellow.  The  many  markings  add  greatly  to  the 
beauty  of  this  interesting  Daghestan. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mr.  Frank  E.  Burley,  Chicago. 


■IYfl„'^''^-ll(^ 


India  and  Central  Asia  79 

a  longer  pile.  The  designs  are  geometrical,  several 
star  devices  often  occupying  the  field  ;  and  here  again 
we  see  the  hook,  which  is  a  feature  of  the  entire  Dag- 
hestan  province.  There  is  a  good  lustre  in  the  Derbent 
rugs,  and  the  coloring  is  often  quiet  and  inconspicuous 
in  dark  blue,  red,  yellow,  and  ivory.  Sometimes  a 
soft  pink  is  noticed. 

Kabistan  (Cabistan)  rugs  are  woven  at  Kuba.  They 
resemble  the  Daghestans  to  such  an  extent  that  they 
are  often  sold  under  that  name.  They  have,  however, 
more  variety  of  design,  although,  as  in  the  Daghestans, 
the  diamond  is  generally  a  prominent  feature,  and  often 
three  large  and  many  small  diamonds  are  seen.  The 
palm  leaf  is  of  common  occurrence,  and  occasionally 
dififerent  colored  stripes  occur  throughout  the  entire 
field.  Soft  reds,  greens,  a  delicate  fawn,  and  browns 
are  the  usual  colors.  The  borders  may  be  in  stripes, 
or  with  crude  animal  or  bird  devices. 

Karabagh  rugs  have  characteristics  of  the  other 
Caucasian  rugs,  but  are  more  crude  in  coloring.  Red 
is  the  chief  color  used.  The  rugs  are  coarse  and  quite 
crude  in  effect. 

Kazak  rugs  are  woven  by  a  nomad  tribe  dwelling 
among  the  Caucasus  mountains.  There  is  a  certain 
strength  and  vigor  about  the  Kazak  rugs  that  seems  to 
be  in  harmony  with  the  tribe  that  weaves  them.     The 


8o         Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

word  Kazak  is  a  corruption  of  Cossack;  and  the  dura- 
bility of  these  rugs,  as  well  as  a  certain  boldness  of  ef- 
fect in  their  designs  and  colors,  corresponds  with  the 
hardihood  of  the  people  who.  weave  them.  The  rugs 
are  thick  and  soft;  their  colors  are  blues,  soft  reds,  and 
greens.  Often  the  field  is  a  deep  rose  or  a  green, 
sometimes  with  one  or  more  geometrical  figures,  or 
with  the  palm  leaf  design  in  rather  large  size  through- 
out When  the  palm  leaf  is  used,  it  is  generally- 
decorated  with  a  smaller  leaf  of  a  different  hue.  Many 
varieties  of  small  designs  are  also  seen,  including 
circles,  diamonds,  squares,  and  the  tau  cross,  which  is 
almost  always  present.  Some  of  the  antique  Kazaks 
are  very  fine. 

Shirvan  rugs  are  attractive  from  their  quiet,  agree- 
able tints,  and  fine,  even  texture.  They  are  made  in 
large  quantities,  and  readily  sold.  The  best  are  of 
white  wool,  but  the  inferior  ones  may  hold  cotton  or 
goat's  hair.  Often  blues  and  whites  are  the  colors  em- 
ployed, with  markings  of  red  or  yellow.  Sometimes 
there  are  stripes  in  the  border,  one  wide  stripe  followed 
by  a  series  of  narrow  ones.  The  hook  is  a  frequent 
design,  and  may  be  found  in  the  field,  incasing  some 
geometrical  figure.  Sometimes  a  conventionalized 
floral  design  is  observed  in  the  border. 


India  and  Central  Asia  8i 

Soutnak  rugs  ought  really  to  be  called  Shemakha, 
for  that  is  the  name  of  the  town  in  the  government  of 
Baku  from  which  they  are  exported.  But  the  contrac- 
tion of  the  word  into  Soumak  is  now  universal.  Er- 
roneously too,  these  rugs  are  known  as  ' '  Kashmir, ' ' 
for  the  sole  reason  that  they  are  woven  with  a  flat  stitch 
and  the  loose  ends  are  left  hanging  at  the  back,  just  as 
they  are  in  the  old  Kashmir  shawls.  The  designs  bear 
a  resemblance  to  those  of  the  Daghestans,  and  the 
hook  is  omnipresent.  The  best  are  durable,  and  some- 
times a  rarely  beautiful  Soumak  is  discovered,  dis- 
tinguished from  the  ordinary  specimens  by  its  soft  hues 
and  fine  texture.  One  that  I  have  in  mind  is  of  a  rich 
blue  field,  with  geometrical  figures  in  terra  cotta  shades, 
and  a  rare  bit  of  green  in  the  way  of  ornamentation; 
the  field  of  another  is  rose,  and  the  geometrical  forms 
are  in  deep  blues,  old  blues,  and  ivory. 

Tehechen  (Chichi  or  Tzitzi)  rugs  are  made  by  the 
Chichi  nomads  living  among  the  mountains  of  Dag- 
hestan.  The  rugs  have  a  strong  resemblance  to  the 
Shirvans,  and  are  often  sold  under  that  name.  They 
are  of  about  the  same  color  and  quality,  but  are  wider. 
In  the  border  there  are  frequently  geometrical  designs 
arranged  between  two  or  more  stripes,  and  the  tau 
cross  is  sometimes  seen. 


IV 


POLISH    AND    MISCELLANEOUS 
ORIENTAL    RUGS 


POLISH   AND  MISCELLANEOUS 
ORIENTAL   RUGS 


Polish  Rugs 

'TT^HERE  are  few  of  the  so-called  Polish  rugs  in 
"*■  existence,  and  these  are  priceless  and  cannot  be 
bought.  They  are  mostly  seven  feet  long  by  four  wide. 
The  name  takes  its  origin  from  the  fact  that  a  Pole  (by 
name  Mersherski),  after  traveling  in  Persia  and  India, 
established  a  rug  factory  in  Warsaw. 

Polish  rugs  are  of  silk  with  gold  and  silver  thread 
interwoven.  Their  texture  is  looser  than  that  of  the 
usual  Oriental  rug,  and  for  this  reason  they  cannot 
stand  hard  wear;  but  they  are  exceedingly  handsome 
with  their  gold  lustre  and  silky  sheen.  In  these  rugs  a 
number  of  warp  threads  are  crossed  by  the  metal  threads 
and  overspread,  so  that  the  lines  or  ribs  are  brought 
out  more  prominently.  This  in  part  accounts  for  the 
softness  and  looseness  of  the  texture. 


86        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Silk  Rugs 

Long  before  other  countries  learned  the  art  of  cul- 
tivating silk  worms,  China  was  at  work  weaving  fabrics 
of  silk.  Chinese  historians  claim  that  the  origin  of  reel- 
ing silk  and  putting  it  to  use  was  discovered  by  a  woman 
—  Se-Ling-She,  wife  of  Hwang-te,  third  Emperor  of 
China — and  for  that  reason  she  has  always  been  re- 
garded by  them  as  the  "goddess  of  silk  worms."  The 
date  of  this  discovery  is  about  b.  c.  2640.  For  about 
two  thousand  years  the  Chinese  kept  secret  their 
methods  of  reeling  and  weaving  silk,  but  finally  Japan, 
Persia,  and  India  learned  the  art,  Persia  having  for 
many  centuries  transported  raw  silk  between  China  and 
the  West  Very  slowly  grew  the  process  of  silk  weav- 
ing. Greece,  Spain,  and  Sicily  by  degrees  attained  the 
knowledge.  In  a.  d.  550  it  was  introduced  into  Con- 
stantinople, and  in  1148  silk  manufacture  was  carried 
into  Italy,  and  the  cultivation  of  mulberry  trees  was 
enforced  by  law.  The  industry  soon  spread  into  the 
south  of  France,  where  it  rapidly  advanced. 

At  the  present  day  enormous  quantities  of  silk  are 


Miscellaneous  Oriental  Rugs  87 

produced  in  various  parts  of  the  world.  The  principal 
countries  are  China,  Japan,  India,  Southern  Europe, 
and  some  parts  of  Persia  and  Asia  Minor.  During  the 
Middle  Ages  and  down  to  the  seventeenth  century,  the 
province  of  Ghilan  in  Persia  produced  very  fine  silk  and 
in  large  quantities.  In  all  the  countries  and  districts 
just  mentioned,  magnificent  silk  rugs  have  been  woven 
for  many  centuries. 

The  silk  rug  when  at  its  best  is  unsurpassed  in 
beauty;  it  is  distinguished  by  its  richness,  exquisite 
coloring,  and  rare  sheen.  But  silk  rugs  require  the 
most  luxurious  surroundings:  nothing  looks  so  out  of 
place  as  one  of  these  costly  fabrics  of  the  loom  in  a 
poor  setting.  They  are  more  suitable  for  decorative 
purposes  and  museums  than  for  service ;  they  should  be 
used  as  hangings,  not  for  floor  coverings.  An  exquisite 
silk  rug  interwoven  with  pearls  is  hung  before  the 
famous  Peacock  Throne  of  the  Shah  at  Teheran,  Persia. 

The  most  magnificent  silk  rugs  have  been  woven  in 
China,  and  these  are  interesting  from  every  point  of 
view,  especially  as  regards  history,  color,  and  texture. 
The  silk  rugs  of  Khotan  are  remarkable  for  their  beauty 
and  fineness;  on  important  occasions  of  state  and  cere- 
mony the  Chinese  place  them  upon  the  table. 

In  making  silk  rugs,  the  greatest  care  is  necessary 
in  the  shading.  Sometimes  the  shading  of  woolen  rugs 
is  made  more  effective  by  the  addition  of  silk. 


88        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

As  the  demand  for  silk  rugs  is  comparatively  small 
they  are  seldom  woven  on  speculation.  When  made 
to  order  in  Persia,  they  cost  from  ten  dollars  to  fifteen 
dollars  per  square  foot;  thus  the  usual  price  of  a  silk 
rug  of  Persian  make  is  from  two  hundred  dollars  up  to 
thousands  of  dollars.  Those  made  in  Turkey  can  be 
bought  much  cheaper. 

The  Turkoman  Silk  rugs  are  generally  twice  the 
size  of  the  usual  sheep's  wool  or  camel's  hair  rugs. 
They  are  very  fine,  and  often  two  hundred  dollars  is 
paid  for  a  rug  of  this  kind  eight  feet  square. 

Rugs  made  of  raw  silk  are  exported  from  Samar- 
kand, and  silk  rugs  of  old  Persian  designs  are  copied  and 
woven  at  Caesarea.  Some  weavers  of  the  modern  silk 
rug,  however,  do  not  have  recourse  to  established 
designs ;  they  give  play  to  their  imagination,  as  do  the 
weavers  of  wool  rugs.  Other  weavers  copy  chiefly 
designs  from  chintz,  and  still  others  from  designs  in- 
troduced from  Europe. 

Mrs.  Bishop  tells  us  that  silk  produced  at  Resht  is 
brought  to  Kashan  to  be  spun  and  dyed.  Then  it  is 
sent  to  Sultanabad  to  be  woven  into  rugs.  It  is  next 
returned  to  Resht  to  have  the  pile  cut  by  the  sharp  in- 
struments used  for  cutting  the  velvet  pile.  After  the 
rugs  are  finished,  they  are  sent  to  Teheran  to  be  sold. 


Miscellaneous  Oriental  Rugs  89 


Chinese  Rugs 

The  Chinese  rugs  of  antiquity  are  remarkable,  and 
-worthy  of  the  closest  inspection.  Their  texture,  de- 
signs, and  symbolism  show  the  greatest  patience  and 
thought.  Antique  wool  rugs  woven  in  China  are  very 
scarce,  and  because  of  this,  and  for  their  historical 
interest  as  well  as  their  uniqueness  and  attractiveness, 
they  bring  large  prices.  In  fact  they  are  almost  un- 
procurable. A  large  and  very  fine  specimen  of  this 
kind  of  rug  is  in  the  home  of  the  late  Governor  Ames 
of  Boston.  It  measures  nineteen  by  twenty-one  feet. 
The  colors  are  yellow  and  white,  and  these  are  arranged 
in  odd  designs  over  the  entire  rug.  A  member  of  the 
family  owning  it  writes:  "This  rug  is  said  to  have 
originally  been  in  the  Emperor's  Palace  in  China. 
As  every  Emperor  is  obliged  to  have  the  palace  newly 
furnished  when  he  succeeds  to  the  throne,  owing  to 
some  superstition  connected  with  the  retaining  of  any 
of  the  former  emperor's  possessions,  everything  is  re- 
moved and  destroyed.  Fortunately  this  rug  escaped 
destruction. ' '  A  fine  example  of  an  antique  Chinese  rug 
is  represented  in  one  of  the  illustrations  of  this  book. 


90        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

The  modern  Chinese  rugs  are  vastly  different  from 
those  of  antiquity.  There  is,  however,  much  of  interest 
attached  to  them.  They  are  sought  because  of  their 
antique  designs,  their  harmonious  coloring,  and  their 
durability.  The  monstrous  and  fantastic  forms  that  dis- 
tinguished the  antique  are  not  so  frequently  met  with 
in  the  modern  production.  The  predominating  colors 
in  a  modern  Chinese  rug  are  yellow,  blue,  white,  and 
fawn,  and  these  are  arranged  very  effectively.  The 
designs  are  quaint  and  odd. 

In  the  northern  part  of  China  rugs  are  decorated 
with  colored  threads  in  crude  imitation  of  figures;  they 
are  woven  in  sections,  and  then  sewed  together. 
Camel's  hair  of  a  coarse  quality  is  used  extensively  by 
the  Chinese  for  their  rugs,  and  the  laboring  class  use 
felts  in  their  houses.  These  are  cheap  and  durable  and 
are  placed  on  the  tiled  floors  so  common  in  the  colder 
parts  of  China.  The  skin  of  the  doe,  deer,  and  fox  are 
much  used  in  China  as  rugs.  These  skins  are  sewed 
together  in  sections,  according  to  various  designs,  and 
resemble  mosaic  work. 

There  are  more  circular  rugs  found  in  China  than 
in  any  other  country,  and  some  are  exported.  But  they 
are  seldom  called  for  in  this  country,  and  clerks  in  the 
large  establishments  which  import  them  express  surprise 
when  inquiries  are  made  for  them. 


ANTIQUE   CHINESE   WOOL   RUG. 

Size,  7. 10  X  5.2. 

The  modern  Chinese  wool  rugs  are  not  at  all  like  this 
antique  specimen,  which  was  woven  in  Shantung  about 
the  year  1750.  The  material  is  of  wool,  the  pile  is 
very  thick  and  soft,  and  the  texture,  though  loosely 
woven,  is  lasting.  A  large  circular  form  in  the  centre 
of  the  field  is  richly  decorated  in  a  fine  blue,  yellow, 
and  white  floral  design.  Ivory  is  also  seen  in  the 
markings,  but  no  other  colors  are  used  except  light 
yellow  and  a  deep  blue.  The  field  is  of  a  rare  apricot 
hue,  very  unusual  and  beautiful.  The  border  holds  a 
Chinese  fret  design,  the  symbol  of  long  life.  This  is 
in  a  rich  deep  blue,  and  the  outmost  part  of  it  is  in 
a  dark  shade  of  blue.  The  separate  sprays  of  flowers 
on  this  rug  represent  the  tea  flower,  which  the  Chinese 
use  for  decorative  purposes,  and  the  larger  sprays  hold 
the  imperial  flower. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  A.  A.  Fan  tine  £sf  Co.,  Neto  York. 


Miscellaneous  Oriental  Rugs  9^ 


Japanese   Rugs 

The  Japanese  have  been  skilled  weavers  for  many 
centuries,  and  the  growth  of  textile  industries  among 
these  people  has  been  greatly  increased  by  the  intro- 
duction of  fine  cotton  yarns  of  uniform  quality.  The 
modern  Japanese  rugs  are  made  of  cotton  or  jute,  and 
are  used  extensively  in  the  United  States  in  summer 
homes.  In  the  towns  which  produce  these,  little  children 
may  be  seen  busily  engaged  in  weaving,  their  small 
fingers  being  very  deft  at  this  work. 

The  chief  colors  employed  by  the  Japanese  in  their 
rug-weaving  are  blue,  white,  and  sometimes  a  beauti- 
ful pink.  In  weaving,  designing,  and  coloring,  as  in 
everything  else  the  natives  do,  their  exactness  of  finish 
and  thoroughness  in  detail  are  noticeable.  The  Persian 
designs  which  were  once  reproduced  in  Japan,  are  now 
supplanted  by  designs  purely  Japanese. 


92        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Rugs  of  the  Holy  Land 

No  rugs  of  importance  are  woven  in  Palestine.  In 
several  villages  there  is  made  a  coarse  cloth,  water- 
proof because  of  its  firm  texture.  It  is  used  for  cloaks 
or  abas,  and  these  are  worn  by  all  the  men  of  the  land. 
In  Bethlehem  is  made  the  coarse  cloth  which  is  used  as 
tent  covering.  This  is  produced  from  the  sombre  hair 
of  the  Palestine  goat.  In  Damascus  a  few  rugs  are 
woven,  but  not  of  any  great  value  or  beauty. 


Miscellaneous  Oriental  Rugs  93 


Prayer  Rugs 

The  prayer  rug  is  so  distinctly  sui  generis  that  it 
requires  a  little  explanation.  It  is  to  be  found  wherever 
dwell  the  followers  of  Mahomet,  and  the  design 
usually  includes  a  representation  of  a  mosque,  or  place 
of  public  worship,  showing  the  mihrab,  which  is  the 
niche  in  the  wall  of  the  mosque,  so  located  that  when 
the  worshipper  prostrates  himself  before  it  he  will  be 
prostrating  himself  toward  Mecca.  * 

The  Mohammedan,  if  he  build  a  mosque,  locates  it 
so  that  its  axis  extends  in  the  direction  of  Mecca;  in 
such  buildings  the  mihrab  is  not  necessary,  as  the  nat- 
ural position  of  the  worshipper  places  him  so  that  his 
face  is  toward  the  sacred  city.  Where  Christian  build- 
ings, such  as  the  great  Basilica  of  St.  Sophia  at  Con- 
stantinople have  been  appropriated  for  Moslem  worship, 
the  niche  or  mihrab  may  be  located  well  toward  one 
corner  of  the  building. 


*  Some  Prayer  rugs  have  a  representadon  of  the  hands  of  Mahomet,  and 
on  them  the  suppliant  places  his  own  as  he  throws  himself  prostrate.  In  the 
comers  of  some  of  these  rugs  pulpits  are  represented,  and  occasionally  trees. 


94        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

The  prayer  rug  was  evidently  invented  for  the  pur- 
pose of  providing  the  worshippers  with  one  absolutely 
clean  place  on  which  to  offer  prayers.  It  is  not  lawful 
for  a  Moslem  to  pray  on  any  place  not  perfectly  clean, 
and  unless  each  one  has  his  own  special  rug  he  is  not 
certain  that  the  spot  has  not  been  polluted.  With 
regard  to  the  purity  of  the  place  of  prayer  Moham- 
medans are  especially  careful  when  making  their  pil- 
grimages, the  rugs  which  they  take  with  them  having 
been  preserved  from  pollution  by  being  rolled  up  until 
the  journey  is  begun,  or  until  the  hour  of  prayer  arrives. 
It  does  not  matter  to  these  followers  of  Mahomet 
how  unclean  a  rug  that  is  on  the  floor  may  be,  because 
over  it  they  place  the  prayer  rug  when  their  devotions 
begin. 

About  two  hundred  years  ago  small  embroidered 
rugs  were  largely  made  in  Persia,  chiefly  at  Ispahan. 
These  were  prayer  rugs,  and  on  each  of  them,  near  one 
end,  was  a  small  embroidered  mark  to  show  where  the  bit 
of  sacred  earth  from  Mecca  was  to  be  placed.  In  obe- 
dience to  a  law  in  the  Koran  that  the  head  must  be 
bowed  to  the  ground  in  prayer,  this  was  touched  by  the 
forehead  when  the  prostrations  were  made,  and  so  the 
letter  of  the  law  was  carried  out  The  custom  still  pre- 
vails. The  Persian  women  who  make  the  finest  prayer 
rugs  seldom  weave  any  other  kind  of  rug. 


"  ...4- 


OLD    KIRMAN   PRAYER   RUG. 
Size,   6x4. 1. 

This  beautiful  and  rare  rug  has  an  ivory  field  thickly 
studded  with  small  floral  designs  woven  most  carefully. 
The  knots  are  very  closely  tied,  and  the  texture  is  soft 
and  fine  as  velvet.  A  cypress  tree  occupies  the  centre 
of  the  field,  and  above  its  base  on  either  side  appears 
the  head  of  a  bird.  Below  there  are  two  peacocks,  in 
gorgeous  plumage.  The  upper  parts  of  the  bodies  of 
the  peacocks  seem  actually  to  glisten  like  cloth-of-gold; 
silk  threads  appear  in  the  tail  feathers.  At  the  top  of 
the  rug  rests  a  bird  of  brilliant  plumage,  and  on  either 
side  a  bird  evidently  in  the  act  of  flying.  The  border 
of  this  fine  rug  is  in  stripes,  the  widest  of  a  golden  hue, 
with  turquoise  blue,  light  green,  and  soft  reds  in  deli- 
cate  tracery.  The  corner  areas  are  deep  and  very 
minutely  woven,  corresponding  perfectly  with  the  field. 
Toward  the  centre  of  the  corner  areas  and  extending 

upward,   is  the  mihrab,   proclaiming  for  what  purpose 

i-i'ivr'i       •'■       ■      VI-:.  :;>  pniver,  tlm  w 
this  rug  was  woven. 

Reproduced  by  (curtesy  ef  Miss  Buckingham,  Chicago. 


Miscellaneous  Oriental  Rugs  95 

As  a  class  the  modern  Anatolian  prayer  rugs  are 
quite  inferior,  being  woven  irregularly,  and  without 
regard  to  details  or  finishing;  yet  there  are  among 
them  some  fine  specimens  of  Anatolian  weaving.  The 
best  are  woven  at  Ghiordes.  The  antique  Ghiordes 
rugs  are  really  fine  in  colors,  generally  with  much  pale 
green,  red,  or  blue.  The  design  most  frequently  seen 
is  the  Tree  of  Life.  One  special  kind  is  distinguished 
by  a  yellow  vine  on  a  dark  blue  field. 


96        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Hunting  Rugs 

The  hunting  rugs  of  Persia  are  the  most  remark- 
able and  interesting  rugs  in  existence.  They  had  their 
origin  in  the  Chinese  pictures  of  hunting  scenes,  from 
which  they  were  copied.  They  were  undoubtedly 
made  as  early  as  the  sixteenth  century,  for  the  Shah. 
Exquisite  in  their  weaving,  marvelous  in  coloring,  and 
of  rare  sheen,  they  are  worthy  of  the  closest  attention. 
Nor  is  this  their  only  merit;  they  serve  as  records  of 
ancient  customs,  depicting  the  method  of  the  chase,  and 
portraying  the  mounted  hunters  in  pursuit  of  the 
elephant,  lion,  phoenix,  deer,  and  other  creatures 
(fabulous  and  real).  There  are  perhaps  twelve  of  these 
precious  rugs  in  existence.  One  belongs  to  the  Im- 
perial House  of  Austria,  another  to  Baron  Adolphe 
Rothschild,  a  third  is  in  the  Berlin  Museum,  and  a  fourth 
may  be  seen  at  the  Boston  Museum. 


Miscellaneous  Oriental  Rugs  97 


The  Felt  Rug 

A  large  and  heavy  rug  is  made  in  the  Orient  of 
felt.  This  is  used  extensively  by  the  natives,  but  is  too 
heavy  to  export.  Even  the  shepherds  of  the  Kotan- 
Daria  and  of  the  Keriya-Daria  use  it  in  their  primitive 
and  isolated  abodes.  Sometimes  an  old  felt  rug  is 
propped  up  by  poles  and  becomes  a  tent,  in  which  dwell 
the  shepherds  of  Central  Asia. 

This  felt  rug  is  made  of  the  hair  of  the  camel,  goat, 
or  sheep,  or  by  a  mixture  of  all  these  kinds.  It  is 
matted  together  by  heavy  and  constant  pounding, 
moistened  with  water,  turned  and  beaten  again  and 
again  until  it  becomes  compact  and  solid.  Sometimes 
the  felts  are  decorated  with  colored  threads  and  often 
the  name  of  the  weaver  is  woven  in.  Among  the  best 
felts  are  those  made  at  Astrabad  and  Yezd. 

In  color  felts  are  grey,  brown,  or  white.  The  last 
named  are  woven  at  Khotan.  No  dye  is  used ;  the  hue 
is  that  of  the  hair  of  the  animal,  or  the  composite  hue 
resulting  from  the  mixture  of  the  hair  of  different 
animals. 


98        Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

The  felts  have  no  seams,  and  are  from  one  to  four 
inches  thick.  Although  this  material  is  of  far  more 
ancient  date  than  the  days  of  St.  Clement,  a  legend 
connects  his  name  with  the  discovery  of  felt.  The 
tradition  is  that  while  on  a  pilgrimage  the  Saint,  having 
put  a  wad  of  carded  wool  into  his  shoes  to  protect  his 
feet  from  blisters,  found  at  the  end  of  his  journey  that 
the  pressure  and  moisture  had  converted  the  wool  into 
felL 


Miscellaneous  Oriental  Rugs  99 


Khilim  Rugs 

(  Written  Also  Ghileem,  Kelim,  Kilim  ) 

The  largest  number  of  Khilims  are  woven  in  Turkish 
Kurdistan,  although  many  are  made  in  the  adjoining 
territory,  and  at  Sinna  and  Shirvan.  They  are  also 
woven  by  the  nomads  of  Anatolia  and  Merv,  and  Turkey 
in  Europe  now  produces  many  Khilims,  especially  in 
the  vicinity  of  Servia. 

Khilims  are  made  in  different  sizes,  and  are  alike 
on  both  sides.  Perhaps  the  Khilims  most  familiar  to  us 
are  those  which  are  long  and  narrow.  But  there  are 
also  smaller  sizes,  the  smallest  of  all  being  called  mats. 
All  are  without  nap,  and  are  woven  with  the  fiat  stitch 
by  the  means  of  shuttles. 

Karminian  is  another  name  given  to  this  decorative 
piece  of  tapestry.  The  Karminian  is  woven  in  the  tents 
of  the  nomad  Yuruks  and  other  Turkoman  tribes. 
Occasionally  this  weave  and  the  Kurdish  resemble  the 
prayer  rug  in  having  a  niche  at  one  end. 

A  bit  of  romantic  sentiment  is  woven  into  the  Kis 
Khilims,  as  those  made  by  the  Turks  in  Anatolia  are 
often  called.   It  is  asserted  that  the  word  means  "Bride's 


loo      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

rug, ' '  and  that  the  name  is  derived  from  the  fact  that 
these  rugs  are  woven  by  young  girls,  each  of  whom 
endeavors  to  finish  her  rug  in  time  to  win  a  husband. 
A  lock  of  hair  is  often  found  in  the  Kis  Khilim,  said  to 
have  been  woven  in  by  the  girl  who  made  it 

In  Oriental  countries  the  Khilim  is  often  used  as  a 
curtain  to  divide  the  dwelling  portion  of  the  tent  from 
that  in  which  the  cattle  are  sheltered  from  the  storm. 
It  is  also  used  by  the  natives  on  their  journeys,  and  for 
general  wear  on  the  floors. 

In  the  United  States  this  fabric  is  exceedingly  popu- 
lar as  a  hanging,  or  for  the  cover  of  a  divan  it  is 
equally  effective,  whether  used  in  the  home  or  in  the 
studio. 


DERBENT   RUG. 
Size,  7.2  X4.6. 

j^f  ,As  a  representative  Derbent  rug,  this  is  an  excel- 
lent example.  It  has  the  soft  thick  texture  and  long 
pile  characterizing  this  product  of  the  Caucasus.  The 
entire  dark  blue  field  is  covered  with  well-proportioned 
lozenge-shaped  forms,  distinctly  outlined  with  serrated 
lines.  Every  centre  has  a  cross  of  a  contrasting  color, 
from  the  form  containing  it.  The  main  border  stripe  is 
geometrical,  with  a  variety  of  the  hook  design. 
Several  floral  devices  are  arranged  in  the  maroon 
stripes  on  either  side  the  wide  one.  There  is  a  good 
deal  of  lustre  to  the  rug,  and  the  coloring  is  particularly 
charming  in  fine  blues,  soft  rose,  fawn,  copper  brown, 
subdued  yellows,  ivory,  and  rich  green. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  the  author. 


pi^1}^»/  Vt-F  uv  f   f  i^  v^jf^ 


V 


RUG-WEAVING  IN  THE  OCCIDENT 

GREAT   BRITAIN,  AND  THE 

UNITED   STATES 


RUG-WEAVING  IN  THE  OCCIDENT 

GREAT   BRITAIN,  AND  THE 

UNITED  STATES 


TN  the  preparation  of  this  section  of  the  work,  there 
■*■  has  been  no  attempt  or  desire  to  slight  in  any  way 
the  weaving  industry  of  the  West.  It  has  not  seemed 
advisable,  however,  to  go  into  many  details  on  the  sub- 
ject, for  it  is  one  easily  learned  from  many  sources  by 
any  one  who  desires.  There  is  not  the  mystery  about 
Occidental  weaving  that  there  is  about  Oriental,  the 
latter  perhaps  appealing  to  our  innate  desire  of  acquir- 
ing knowledge  difficult  of  access.  A  short  account  of 
rug-weaving  in  the  Occident  will,  therefore,  be  quite 
as  satisfactory  to  the  general  reader  as  a  more  lengthy 
description. 


I04      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Greece,  etc. 

Greek  rugs  are  almost  as  ancient  as  Greece  herself. 
From  time  immemorial  they  have  constituted  a  most 
important  part  of  the  dowry  of  young  girls  from  the 
provinces.  They  are,  however,  not  often  seen  outside 
of  their  own  country,  for  the  weavers  cannot  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  sell  them. 

Greek  rugs  are  of  two  kinds — the  heavy  ones  which 
serve  for  floor  coverings  in  the  winter,  and  the  thinner, 
which  are  used  all  the  year  round.  Both  are  made  of 
home-produced  wool,  often  with  hemp  weft,  and  are 
worked  by  women  and  girls  only,  in  wooden  looms  of 
a  primitive  order. 

The  Arab  conquerors  of  Spain,  or  the  Moors  as  they 
are  often  called,  are  believed  to  have  taught  the  Vene- 
tians the  art  of  rug-weaving.  The  rugs  now  known  as 
Moorish  are  made  by  the  decendants  of  this  race,  who 
live  outside  of  the  Spanish  border.  Their  leading  color 
is  yellow,  and  in  style  and  quality  they  resemble  the 
so-called  Smyrna  rug. 

The  antique  Moorish  rugs  are  found  in  the  Cathe- 
drals of  Toledo  and  Seville.  These  are  relics  of  the 
thirteenth  century. 


OLD   ANATOLIAN   PRAYER   RUG. 
Size,  6  X  3. 8. 

A  deep,  soft  pile,  firmness  of  texture,  and  superb 
coloring,  characterize  this  rug.  The  lower  section  of 
the  field  is  of  cherry-red  ;  the  upper  portion  is  a  lighter 
shade  of  red,  but  blending  perfectly,  and  forming  by 
its  shape  at  the  top  the  niche  which  is  characteristic  of 
the  prayer  rug.  This  extends  into  the  wonderful  moss 
green  of  the  upper  section.  The  two  tones  (which  ap- 
pear exaggerated  in  the  black  and  white  plate)  suggest 
the  thought  of  a  passing  shadow  upon  a  mossy  bed. 
The  red  and  green  of  the  field  are  separated  by  heavy 
serrated  lines  of  ivory,  which  unite  at  the  top,  leading 
up  to  and  inclosing  a  small  red  lozenge,  terminating 
beyond  this  in  the  hook  design.  It  is  in  the  centre  of 
the  lozenge  that  the  Moslem  places  the  stone  or  bit  of 
earth  when  at  prayer.  Other  hook  designs  and  various 
geometrical  forms  are  arranged  upon  the  field.  The 
wide  stripe  of  the  border  is  of  a  fine  yellow,  rich  and 
lustrous,  decorated  in  blue,  green,  and  maroon  devices 
The  outer  border  is  in  brown,  and  it  is  interesting  to 
observe  the  series  of  nomad  tents  represented,  each 
one  worked  in  white  wool,  the  entrances  to  the  tents, 
however,  being  in  reds,  blues,  or  yellows.  Alternat- 
ing with  each  little  dwelling  are  figures  worked  in 
red,  blue,  or  green.  This  interesting  rug  is  a  product 
of  Csesarea. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mr,  George  Hubbard  Holt,  Chicago. 


Rug-Weaving  in  the  Occident       ^°5 


France,  etc. 

The  art  of  rug-weaving  was  first  introduced  into  the 
West  by  the  Moors  when  they  conquered  Spain.  With 
the  advance  of  civilization  it  proceeded  to  the  land  of 
the  Gauls,  where  during  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Fourth  it 
was  brought  from  Persia.  An  inventor  named  Dupont 
was  placed  in  charge  of  a  workroom  by  the  king,  in  the 
Palais  du  Louvre  about  the  year  1605.  In  the  year 
1 62 1  an  apprentice  of  Dupont's  named  Lourdes,  was 
instructed  to  establish  the  industry  of  weaving  in  a 
district  near  Paris,  where  was  the  Hospice  de  la  Savon- 
nerte,  an  institution  for  poor  children.  The  factory 
was  called  la  Savonnerie  because  the  building  had  been 
previously  used  for  the  manufacture  of  soap.  Since 
1825  la  Savonnerie  has  been  consolidated  with  the 
Gobelins  manufactory.  In  1664,  Colbert,  minister  to 
Louis  the  Fourteenth,  founded  the  establishment  at 
Beauvais  which  is  owned  by  the  French  Government, 
as  is  also  that  of  the  Gobelins,  which  Colbert  bought  of 
the  Gobelin  family.  But  it  is  to  the  Saracens  that 
France    ultimately    owes    the   origin    of    her  famous 


lo^       Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

tapestries,  and  it  is  to  the  Saracens,  through  France, 
that  Western  and  Northern  Europe  trace  their  ob- 
ligation. 

The  industry  has  attained  large  proportions  in 
France.  At  Aubusson  alone  over  two  thousand  work- 
men are  employed  in  rug-weaving.  A  fine  specimen 
of  the  work  done  there  is  a  rug  of  Oriental  design  made 
for  a  collector  in  New  York.  The  piece-work  system 
is  now  generally  used  throughout  the  weaving  districts 
of  France.  The  manufacturers  themselves  usually  place 
the  rugs  on  the  market.  France  buys  the  greater  quan- 
tity, although  many  are  exported. 

Austria  -  Hungary,  Germany,  Holland,  and  Italy 
have  also  had  some  experience  in  rug-weaving,  and 
even  little  Switzerland  at  one  time  attempted  its  intro- 
duction, but  with  unsatisfactory  results.  Belgium, 
however,  was  more  successful,  for  Brussels  still  pro- 
duces a  large  number  of  rugs. 


Rug-Weaving  in  the  Occident       io7 


Great  Britain 

In  England  the  introduction  of  tapestries  as  hang- 
ings for  walls  was  made  by  Eleanora,  sister  of  Alfonso 
the  Tenth  of  Castile,  when  she  became  the  wife  of 
Edward  the  First  In  her  journeyings  these  fabrics  of 
the  loom  were  carried  as  part  of  the  royal  baggage,  and 
must  have  given  some  sense  of  cheer,  particularly  when 
they  clothed  the  bare  walls  of  the  dreary  castle  of 
Caernarvon. 

Edward  the  Third  (1327-1377)  invited  Flemish  weav- 
ers to  settle  in  England.  At  that  time  England  produced 
wool  in  large  quantities,  although  very  few  fabrics  were 
woven  there,  nine-tenths  of  the  wool  being  sent  to 
Ghent  or  Bruges  to  be  manufactured;  for  the  Flemish 
were  the  first  people  in  the  northern  part  of  Europe 
who  advanced  in  the  arts  and  in  manufactures. 
Throughout  Northern  and  Western  Europe  rugs  were 
seldom  used,  except  for  wall  hangings  and  table  covers, 
until  the  time  of  the  Reformation  in  Germany. 

Great  Britain  is  now  quite  active  in  the  manufacture 
of  rugs  with  certain  designs,  a  decided  impetus  to  the 


io8      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

improvement  of  this  industry  being  given  by  Mr. 
William  Morris,  the  English  poet  and  artistic  decora- 
tor, who  was  born  near  London  in  1834. 

The  Morris  Rug.  With  strong,  firm  texture,  fine 
vegetable  dyes,  and  with  purely  artistic  designs,  the 
Morris  rug  bears  testimony  to-day  to  the  honesty,  per- 
severance, and  skill  of  the  man  for  whom  it  is  named. 
He  himself  testifies:  "I  am  an  artist  or  workman  with 
a  strong  inclination  to  exercise  what  capacities  I  may 
have — a  determination  to  do  nothing  shabby  if  I  can 
help  it ' '  Decorative  art  in  many  branches  is  the  richer 
to-day  for  the  influence  of  Mr.  Morris,  but  it  is  his 
rug-making  that  now  claims  attention.  Mr.  Bernhard 
Quaritch  informs  me  in  a  letter  dated  August  31,  1899, 
that  Mr.  Morris  learned  the  art  of  making  rugs  from  a  vol- 
ume of  the  work  entitled  ' '  Descriptions  des  Arts  et  Met- 
iers."  Mr.  Morris  had  his  own  loom,  and  not  only  wove 
rugs,  but  dyed  the  wool  for  them  himself,  and  instructed 
pupils,  to  whom  his  inspiration  was  a  power.  Long  and 
laboriously  he  worked  to  achieve  the  best  results,  using 
vegetable  dyes  only,  and  he  was  finally  successful.  No 
dyer  of  the  Orient  could  have  been  more  pleased  than 
was  he  when  his  efforts  resulted  in  soft,  glowing  tints. 

In  design  Mr.  Morris  excelled.  He  educated  the 
popular  taste  by  bringing  forth  the  beauties  of  the 
simpler  forms  of  the  floral  and  vegetable  world;  he 


FERAGHAN    RUG. 
Size,  24.8  X  15. 

This  is  a  most  unusual  antique  Feraghan.  It  is  rare 
to  find  an  antique  of  such  enormous  size,  and  the 
marvelous  sheen  and  good  preservation  of  the  rug 
render  it  a  choice  specimen.  The  texture  is  like  velvet 
in  its  softness,  the  Persian  knotting  is  firm,  and  the 
shadings  of  green,  rose,  blue,  yellow,  purple,  violet, 
and  red  all  blend  in  perfect  harmony.  The  pile  is  even, 
and  the  border  with  its  exquisite  hues  is  a  study  in  color 
blending.  The  green  of  the  widest  border-stripe  is 
particularly  reposeful  in  effect. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Messrs.  Marshall  Field  iff  Co.,  Chicago. 


Rug-Weaving  in  the  Occident       ^09 

delighted  especially  in  displaying  the  acanthus  in  varied 
conventional  forms.  Every  rug  he  designed  bears 
witness  to  his  enthusiasm  for  harmony.  Too  aesthetic, 
some  critics  declare  him  to  have  been;  but  no  one  can 
deny  the  importance  of  his  creations,  for  England 
needed  to  be  awakened  to  a  knowledge  of  her  own 
inability  to  appreciate  artistic  decoration  of  the  home, 
especially  by  means  of  the  productions  of  the  loom.  It 
was  this  very  fact,  and  his  inability  to  procure  artistic 
furniture  such  as  would  satisfy  his  aesthetic  taste,  that 
started  Mr.  Morris  to  create  those  fabrics  which  he 
desired. 


"o      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


The  United  States 

The  United  States  is  largely  occupied  in  rug- 
weaving,  and  the  centre  of  the  Eastern  section  of  this 
manufacture  is  Philadelphia.  But  in  various  sections 
of  the  country  there  are  rug  factories,  both  large  and 
small. 

The  Abenakee  rug  is  made  at  Pequaket,  New 
Hampshire.  It  is  the  result  of  a  desire  on  the  part 
of  Mrs.  Helen  R.  Albee  to  give  profitable  employment 
to  the  women  of  the  rural  community  where  she  lives. 
Her  success  is  now  assured,  and  the  reward  for  much 
labor  and  thought  has  come  in  a  lively  demand  for 
the  rug. 

The  Abenakee  rugs  are  not  woven.  They  are  an 
evolved  form  of  the  much  despised  New  England 
hooked  rug,  which  was  made  by  drawing  strips  of  old 
rag  through  burlap.  The  thick,  soft,  velvety  Abenakee 
rugs  of  the  present  day  are  far  removed  in  color, 
design,  and  texture  from  their  humble  ancestors.  These 
rugs  are  all  wool,  hand-dyed  in  warm  tones  of  terra- 
cotta,  old  rose,   old  pink,  tans,   dull  yellows,    rich   old 


Rug-Weaving  in  the  Occident       "^ 

blues,  olive  and  sage  greens,  and  old  ivory.  They  are 
made  to  order  usually,  to  match  in  their  ground  color 
some  special  color  in  the  room  where  they  are  to  be 
placed,  and  the  borders  are  made  in  harmonious  tones. 
The  range  of  design  is  wide,  from  Oriental  to  Oc- 
cidental— from  Japanese  to  North  American  Indian. 
But  all  suggestions,  so  soon  as  received,  are  modified 
and  removed  as  far  as  possible  from  direct  imitation  of 
any  foreign  rugs.  Mrs.  Albee  has  aimed,  not  to  re- 
produce Oriental  effects,  but  to  have  the  designs 
original  and  distinctive.  Fortunately,  for  years  previous 
to  the  establishment  to  this  industry,  she  had  studied 
the  principles  of  design  and  its  application  to  various 
textiles,  and  the  knowledge  which  she  thus  acquired 
has  proved  most  valuable. 

The  designs  are  bold  and  effective,  but  fineness  of 
detail  is  precluded  by  the  strips  of  material,  each  of 
which  is  a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide.  The  color  is 
arranged  in  broad  masses. 

The  New  England  Hooked  or  Rag  rug  has  for  its 
foundation  a  strip  of  burlap  or  sacking.  Through  this, 
strips  of  cloth  are  hooked,  which  form  loops,  and  this 
surface  may  be  sheared  or  not,  as  the  maker  desires. 
There  is  such  an  absence  of  attractiveness  in  the  old- 
time  rag  rug,  that  several  women  of  taste  and  experience 
in  art  methods  have  sought  the  improvement  of  this 


112       Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

industry.  The  results  have  been  excellent,  so  that, 
ugly  as  the  original  rug  is,  it  is  esteemed  as  being  the 
progenitor  of  the  more  artistic  Abenakee,  Sabatos,  and 
Onteora  rugs. 

The  Sabatos  rug  is  a  product  of  the  little  mountain- 
ous village  of  Center  Lovell,  Maine.  The  untiring  efforts 
of  Mrs.  Douglas  Volk  of  New  York  have  succeeded  in 
developing  the  rug  and  starting  this  industry,  and  she 
has  now  about  a  dozen  women  engaged  in  the  work, 
this  number  including  the  spinners,  dyers,  and  weavers. 

The  Sabatos  rug  is  durable,  harmonious  in  color 
and  design,  and  is  distinctly  a  home  product  The 
wool  of  which  it  is  made  is  sheared  from  the  flocks 
of  sheep  in  the  vicinity.  The  shearing  takes  place 
annually  in  June;  the  wool  is  then  carded,  spun,  and 
dyed.  The  threads  of  hand-spun  wool  are  worked 
through  a  hand-woven  webbing,  and  securely  knotted 
or  tied  with  a  specially  devised  knot.  The  designs  thus 
far  are  mainly  adaptations  from  the  native  American 
Indian  motives,  which  are  simple  and  characteristic, 
furnishing  a  chance  for  broad  color  effects. 

A  special  point  is  made  of  the  dyes  employed,  those 
of  vegetable  origin  ruling,  and  only  those  dyes  which 
from  experience  have  been  found  to  be  practically  fast 
are  used, — such  for  instance  as  genuine  old  Indigo 
blue,  madder  root,  and  butternut. 


Rug- Weaving  in  the  Occident       "3 

The  Onteora  rug  receives  its  name  from  a  little 
village  nestling  among  the  Catskill  Mountains.  It 
owes  its  existence  to  Mrs.  Candace  Wheeler,  the  well- 
known  artistic  decorator  and  writer,  of  New  York. 
Still  in  its  experimental  state,  the  Onteora  rug  is  prom- 
isingly successful.  The  idea  Mrs.  Wheeler  and  her 
assistants  are  carrying  out  is  that  of  making  an  ordinary 
rag  rug  upon  an  old-fashioned  Colonial  loom,  and 
weaving  into  it  artistic  designs.  For  this  purpose 
"piece  ends"  of  colored  denims  are  bought  from 
Southern  mills.  These  are  for  the  filling,  and  can  be 
arranged  and  varied  in  color  very  effectively.  The 
designs  are  in  blocks,  stripes,  and  arrows.  This  industry 
is  not  yet  upon  a  sufficiently  large  scale  to  warrant  the 
establishment  of  warp  dyeing,  but  later  Mrs.  Wheeler 
expects  to  accomplish  this  result,  which  she  believes 
is  necessary  to  the  best  effects. 

Berea  College,  Kentucky,  is  endeavoring  to  encour- 
age the  weaving  of  rag  rugs  of  a  superior  order.  So 
far,  the  industry  is  in  a  primitive  state,  the  natives  pre- 
ferring to  weave  cotton  and  wool  coverlets,  for  floor 
rugs  they  consider  troublesome.  The  weaving  is  carried 
on  in  the  homes  throughout  the  mountains  of  that 
region  known  as  "Appalachian  America;"  and  is  really 
a  survival  of  the  New  England  Industry. 


iH       Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Navajo  Rugs.  The  Navajo  Indian  Reservation 
covers  about  eleven  thousand  square  miles,  about  six 
hundred  and  fifty  of  which  are  in  the  north-west  corner 
of  New  Mexico,  and  the  remainder  in  the  north-east 
portion  of  Arizona.  The  region  is  well  adapted  for  the 
raising  of  sheep,  and  every  family  possesses  flocks, 
which  are  driven  from  place  to  place  for  pasture.  The 
Navajos,  however,  never  go  to  any  great  distance  for 
this,  but  keep  generally  within  a  radius  of  fifty  or  sixty 
miles  from  home.  This  tribe  weaves  a  rug  that  is 
useful,  unique,  durable,  and  when  at  its  best,  impervious 
to  rain. 

It  is  believed  that  the  Spaniards,  when  they  arrived 
in  that  section  of  North  America  inhabited  by  the  Pueblo 
tribe  of  Indians,  communicated  to  them  the  industry  of 
weaving  these  rugs,  and  that  the  Pueblos  taught  it  to 
the  Navajos.  Thus  it  appears  that  the  weaving  of  the 
Navajo  rug  was  a  result  of  the  Moors'  invasion  of 
Europe.  The  sheep,  which  are  raised  by  thousands, 
were  also  introduced  by  the  Spaniards.  The  wool  is 
not  washed  until  after  the  shearing.  About  twenty-five 
years  ago  the  Navajos  began  to  use  the  shears  of  the 
white  man;  previously  they  procured  the  wool  by  cut- 
ting it  off  the  body  of  the  animal  with  a  knife,  and 
pulling  it  from  the  legs. 

The  native  dyes  are  red,  yellow,  and  black,  and  the 


NAVAJO   MAT. 
Size,  3. 9  X  4. 9. 

,  -The  field  of  this  Navajo  mat  is  in  a  natural  shade  of 
greyish  white.      Six  large  diamond  forms  in  black,  with    ; 
reddish  edges  and  white  centres,  rest  on  the  field.     The^js 
centres  contain  a  tiny  red  line,   and  there  are  smaller 
diamonds — seven  in  number — four  having  red  centres 
and  the  remainder  black,  and  at  one  end  are  two  small 
figures.     The  border  is  in  stripes  of  red,  black,  and  an 
addition   of  white.     The  mat  is  a  fine  sample    of  the 
American  Indian  weaving,  and  its  simplicity  places  it  inhi'. 
striking  and  pleasing  contrast  to  many  of  the  modern  .,' 
productions  of  the  Navajos. 

Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Mr.  Frank  E.  Bur  ley,  Chicago. 


Rug-Weaving  in  the  Occident       "5 

Tiatural  colors  of  the  wool  are  black,  grey,  and  white. 
The  dyes  of  the  white  man  are  now  much  used. 
Formerly  there  was  a  beautiful  blue,  which  has  given 
way  to  the  indigo.  A  scarlet  cloth  called  Bayeta  was 
once  much  used  in  the  weaving  of  these  rugs,  but 
Germantown  yarn  and  other  inventions  of  the  white 
man  have  largely  superseded  the  old-time  materials 
and  methods. 

The  spindle  is  of  the  crudest  form,  and  sometimes 
the  wool  is  simply  picked  out  from  the  mass,  and  rolled 
into  the  yarn  or  thread  on  the  hand. 

The  looms  are  fashioned  after  the  most  primitive 
ones  of  the  Orient,  and  the  weaver  sits  on  the  ground 
and  weaves  upward.  Women  do  most  of  the  weaving, 
but  occasionally  a  dusky  faced  man  may  be  seen  at  the 
loom.  It  takes  about  a  month  to  weave  a  rug  six  feet 
ten  inches  by  five  feet  seven  inches. 

The  designs  in  the  Navajo  rugs  are  many,  and 
mostly  in  angles  and  straight  lines.  The  weaver 
makes  up  her  own  designs  as  she  goes  along,  occasion- 
ally only  tracing  it  in  the  sand. 

There  is  a  symbolism  attached  to  many  forms  in 
these  rugs.  The  square  with  four  knit  corners  repre- 
sents the  four  quarters  of  heaven  and  the  four  winds. 
A  tau  cross  is  a  symbol  of  protection  and  safety,  and  a 
prayer  to  the  great  spirit.     A  spiral  form  represents 


ii6      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

the  purified  soul,  and  a  double  spiral  is  a  symbol  of  the 
soul's  struggle.  A  wave  mark  represents  the  sea,  over 
which  the  people  came  from  a  far  country.  Black  is 
the  symbol  of  water,  regarded  as  the  mother  or  spirit. 
Red  is  the  symbol  of  fire,  and  is  regarded  as  the 
father. 

The  native  costume  of  the  women  of  the  Navajo 
tribe  consists  of  two  small  rugs  in  dark  blue  or  black, 
with  a  bright  stripe  at  each  end.  They  are  of  the  same 
size,  and  sewed  together  at  the  sides,  except  where  a 
place  is  left  open  for  the  arms.  Formerly  the  Indians 
reserved  their  hand-made  rugs  for  their  own  use,  but 
now  that  there  is  so  great  a  demand  for  the  work  of 
their  hands,  they  sell  those  rugs,  and  content  them- 
selves with  blankets  of  factory  make. 

Old  Navajo  rugs,  like  Oriental  ones,  are  growing 
scarcer  every  year,  and  naturally  are  becoming  more 
valuable  and  desirable.  The  fine  textures,  perfect 
workmanship,  and  glowing  colors  are  seen  at  their  best 
in  productions  of  the  past 


VI 
MISCELLANEOUS  INFORMATION 


MISCELLANEOUS   INFORMATION 


Inscriptions  on  Rugs 

TTTE  are  occasionally  indebted  to  an  Oriental 
^  "  scholar  for  a  translation  of  an  inscription  on  a 
rug;  often  these  inscriptions  show  the  religious  belief 
of  the  maker. 

One  fine  rug  in  a  museum  in  Austria  has  the  fol- 
lowing inscription:  "Allah!  No  God  exists  besides 
Him,  the  Living,  the  Eternal.  Nothing  causes  Him 
to  slumber  or  to  sleep.  To  Him  belongs  everything 
in  heaven  and  on  earth.  Who  can  intercede  with  Him 
without  His  permission  ?  He  knows  what  is  before 
and  what  is  behind,  and  only  so  much  of  His  wisdom 
can  be  grasped  as  He  permits.  His  throne  fills  heaven 
and  earth,  and  the  support  of  both  to  Him  is  easy. 
He  is  the  High  One,  the  Exalted!" 

A  rug  of  Persian  weave  owned  by  Baron  Nathaniel 
Rothschild  has,  worked  in  the  oval  cartouches,  an  in- 
scription translated  by  Professor  F.  Bayer  as  follows: 


"o      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

1.  "Honored  mayst  thou  be  in  the  world, 
Among  the  clever  and  wise. 

2.  May  no  sorrow  be  allotted  thee  by  an  unfavor- 

ing  heaven, 
And  may  no  care  torment  thy  heart. 

3.  May  earth  be    all    to   thee   that   thou  wouldst 

have  it,  and  destiny  prove  thy  friend. 
May  high  heaven  be  thy  protector. 

4.  May  thy  rising  star  enlighten  the  world. 

And  the  falling  stars  of  thine  enemies  be  ex- 
tinguished. 

5.  May  every  act  of  thine  prosper, 

And  may  every  year  and  every  day  be  to  thee 
Spring-time. ' ' 

In  the  Industrial  Museum  at  Berlin  there  is  a  rug 
with  this  inscription  :  "There  is  no  Deity  but  God, 
and  Mahomet  is  His  Prophet." 

On  a  Persian  silk  rug  is  a  line  from  the  Koran  : 
"All  perisheth  but  His  face." 

Another  rug  has  :   "God  is  greatest !  He  is  great  !" 

Often  a  marking  in  a  corner  of  a  rug  is  simply  the 
name  of  the  maker,  and  the  date. 


Miscellaneous  Information  "i 

A  wonderful  rug  in  the  South  Kensington  Museum 
has  this  inscription: 

"I  have  no  other  than  thy  threshold, 
My  head  has  no   other   protection   than  this 

porchway ! 
The  work  of  the  slave  of  this  HOLY  PLACE, 
MaKand  of  Kasban, 

In  the  year  946. ' ' 
This  date   corresponds  to  a.  d.  1568.     The  rug  is 
beautiful   in  color   and  design,   and   has   about    three 
hundred  and  eighty-nine  hand-tied  knots  to  the  square 
inch. 

Oriental  Symbols 

All  Oriental  rugs  have  designs,  and  every  design 
is  symbolical.  To  the  connoisseur,  as  well  as  to  the 
owners  of  rugs,  it  is  vastly  interesting  to  understand 
the  meaning  attached  to  these  symbols  by  the  Orien- 
tals. Everyone  is  familiar  with  the  tree  design  in 
some  of  its  various  forms,  and  with  the  stiff  little 
birds  and  the  many  odd  and  strange  looking  animals 
which  frequently  are  seen  on  an  Eastern  fabric  of  the 
loom.  Yet  each  unique  figure  has  a  meaning,  and  it  is 
a  fascinating,  as  well  as  an  apparently  endless  task,  to 
find  the  hidden  significance  of  these  symbols.     If  one 


122       Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

go  no  further,  he  should  at  least  become  familiar  with 
the  designs  on  his  own  rugs,  and  know,  if  possible, 
what  they  typify. 

The  rug  itself  symbolizes  Eternity  and  Space,  and 
the  filling  or  plan  is  the  symbol  of  the  World — beau- 
tiful, but  fleeting  and  limited. 

Chinese  Symbols 

Bat     ..---.-     Happiness. 

Buddhist  Sceptre  -     -     -     Success  in  literary  labors. 

Chi-lin  (a  kind  of  doe)    -     Nobleness,  gentleness. 

Cock  and  hen  on  an  art- 
ificial rock-work    -     -     Pleasures  of  country  life. 

Crane Immortality. 

Crow  -------     Evil. 

Deer  -------     Official  emolument. 

Dragon  ------  The  imperial  emblem,  sig- 
nifying increase  and  im- 
perial grandeur. 

Dragon  with  five  claws  on 

each  of  its  four  feet    -     Exclusive    Emblem    of    the 

Emperor. 

Dragon  and  Phoenix  -     -     Newly  wedded  pair. 

Duck  -     - Conjugal  affection. 


'  />ij* 


Turkish  Loom  and  Weavers 


Miscellaneous  Information  ^23 

Goose Domestic  felicity. 

Gourd      ------  Happiness. 

Lion  -------  Victory. 

Magpie Good  luck. 

Old  man  leaning  on  a  staff  Long  life. 

Owl    -     - Dread. 

Peach  -------  Old  age. 

Phoenix    ------  Emblem  of  the  Empress. 

Stork Long  life. 

Tortoise Long  life. 

Tree   of   Life   with   seven 

branches    on     a    short 

stem -  Seven  days  of  Creation. 

Young  stags      -     -     -     -  Long  life. 

Egyptian  Symbols 

Asps  -------     Intelligence. 

Bat  with  a  ring  in  its  claws    Duration. 

Bee     -------     Immortality. 

Beetle Earthly  life  and  the  devel- 
opment of  man  in  the 
future  state. 

Blossom  ------     Life. 

Boat   -------     Serene   spirit  gliding  upon 

the  waters. 


124      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Bull    -------     Source  of  life. 

Butterfly  ------     Soul. 

Cartouche     -----     Eternity. 

Crescent       -----     Celestial  virgin. 

Crocodile      -----     Beneficent  Deity. 

Dove  -------     Love,  mourning  of  a  widow. 

Eagle  ------  Creation,  preservation,  de- 
struction, power. 

Egg Life. 

Eye  of  Osiris    -     -     -     -     Eye   of  the   eternal   judge 

over  all. 

Feather  of  an  ostrich  -     -     Truth,  justice.    (The  ostrich 

itself  does  not  appear  in 
Egyptian  art) 

Feathers  of  rare  birds      -     Sovereignty. 

Frog  -------     Renewed  birth. 

Hawk      ------     Power. 

Ibis     -------     Usefulness,  the  heart 

Lizard      ------     Divine  wisdom. 

Lotus  ------  The  Sun,  creation,  resur- 
rection. 

Nile  Key Life. 

Palm  tree     -----     Immortality,  longevity. 

Papyrus  ------     Food  for  mind  and  body, 

Pine  cone     -----     Fire. 

Pomegranate     -     -     .     -     Life. 


Miscellaneous  Information  125 

Rosette   ------     A  lotus  motive. 

Sail  of  a  vessel     -     -     -     Breath;  the  belief  that  the 

soul  is  inactive  and  worth- 
less until  revived  by  the 
breath  of  the  mind. 

Scarabseus    -----     Immortality,     resurrection, 

emblem  of  a  ruling  prov- 
idence. 

Solar  disk  with  serpents     Royalty. 

Sphinx Beneficent  Being. 

Staff  in  the  hands  of  the 

gods  ------     Purity. 

Sun -     -     Deity,  life. 

Viper-     ------     Power. 

Wheel Deity. 

Zigzag     ------    Water. 

Indian  Symbols 

Ass     -------     Humility,  austerity. 

Banian  or  Burr  tree  -  -  Deity  (because  of  its  out- 
stretched branches  and 
overshadowing  benefi- 
cence). 

Butterfly  ------     Beneficence  of  Summer. 


126       Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Filfot  cross  of  Buddhism      Auspiciousness. 

Knot  and  flower  design        Divine  bounty  and  power. 

Serpent   ------     Desire. 

Japanese  Symbols 

Pine  trees     -----     Long  Life. 

Storks     ------     Long  Life. 

Tortoises      -----     Long  Life. 

Persian  Symbols 

Descending  Eagle      -     -  Bad  Luck. 

Eagle Light,  height. ' 

Flying  Eagle    -     -     -     -  Good  luck. 

Hounds  ------  Fame,   ever  increasing 

honor. 

Leopards      -     -     -     -  Fame,    ever   increasing 

honor. 

Lion -     -  Power. 

Peacock  ------  Fire,  light 

Phoenix    ------  Immortality. 

Standing  Eagle      -     -     -  Good  luck. 

Sun Light. 

Sword     ------  Force. 


Miscellaneous  Information  ^27 

Tree  of  health  -     -     -     -     Immortality. 
Tree  of  life  -----     Knowledge,  truth. 

The  Coat  of  Arms  of  Persia  is  the  Lion  holding  a 
sword  in  his  paw,  and  with  the  Sun  at  his  back. 

Turkish  Symbols 

Crescent       -----     Increasing  power. 

The  Turkish  Coat  of  Arms  is  the  Crescent  and  the 
Star.  These  heavenly  bodies  are  supposed  to  signify 
growth. 

Miscellaneous   Symbols 

Anemone     -----     Good  fortune. 

Bat -     Maternity. 

Bird    -------     Spirit. 

Boar  -------     Winter. 

Butterfly Ethereal  soul. 

Circle  ------  Eternity,  perpetual  con- 
tinuity. 

Cypress  tree      -     -     -     -     Tree    of    life,   immortality, 

perfect  and  renewed  life. 

Dog    -------     Destruction,  vigilance. 

Elephant Patient  endurance,  self- 
restraint. 


^28       Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Evergreens  -----     Immortality. 

Fir  cone An  existence  terminated  but 

united — the  union  of  the 
tribes  agai,n'st  the  do- 
minion of  Rome. 

Fly     ----..-     Destroying  attribute. 

Hare  - Fertility. 

Heart       ----__     Man  morally. 

Hippopotamus  -     -     -     -     Destroying  power. 

Hog   -    - Deep  meditation. 

Jug     ---__-_     Knowledge. 

Lily -     -     Purity. 

Olive       - Consecration  to  immortality. 

Owl Wisdom, 

Ox Patience,  gentleness. 

Peacock  ------     Resurrection    (because    of 

the  annual  renewing  of  its 
plumage,  and  from  a  be- 
lief in  the  incorruptibility 
of  its  flesh). 

Phoenix  ------  Good  luck,  herald  of  pros- 
perity, birth  of  great  men. 

Pig     .---■_-     Universal  kindness. 

Ram  -------     Spiritual  leadership. 

Reed  -------     Sign  of  royalty. 

Rhinoceros  -----     Religious  recluse. 


Vats  in  which  Wool  is  Washed  and  Dyed — Turkey 


^ 


Miscellaneous  Information  129 

Scorpion       -----  Invincible  knowledge. 

Serpent  ------  Life,  immortality. 

Spear      ------  Destructive  power. 

Spider     ------  Slave  of  Passion. 

Squirrel  ------  Averter  of  evil. 

Turtle      -     -  -     -     -  Constancy. 

Wheel     -     -----  Universe. 

Wings     ------  Spontaneous  motion. 

Wolf  -------  Destroying  power. 

Meaning  of  Some  of  the  Place-Names 
Associated  with  Rugs 

Akhissar White  Citadel. 

Bagdad    ------     Abode  of  Peace. 

Baku Place  of  Winds. 

Beluchistan  -----     Land  of  the  Beluches. 

Bhagulpore  -----    Tiger  City. 

Bokhara  ------     Treasury  of  Sciences — The 

Noble. 
Deccan    ------    The  South  Land. 

Derbent  ------     Fortified  Gate. 

Fars    -------     Land     of    the     Farsi,    or 

Persians. 
Fu-Chau       -----     Happy  City. 


I30      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Gilan       ------  The  Marshes. 

Gulistan  ------  The  Rose  Garden. 

Haidarabad       -     -     -     -  Gate  of  Salvation. 

Herat      -----     _  The  Pearl  of  Khorassan — 

The  Gate  of  India. 

Islamabad    -----  Abode  of  Islam. 

Ispahan  ------  Place  of  Horses. 

Jerusalem     -----  Heir  of  Peace. 

Kandahar     -----  Key  of  India. 

Karabagh     -----  Country  of  the  Sun. 

Karadagh Black  Mountains. 

Kelat       ------  Castle. 

Kwatah   ------  Citadel. 

Mecca      ------  The    Heart  of   Islam — ^The 

Holy  City. 

Mirzapore City  of  the  Emir. 

Ning-po  - Peaceful  Wave. 

Peshawar      -----  Advanced  Fortress. 

Samarkand The  Head  of  Islam. 

Shang-hai     -----  Approaching  the  Sea. 

Srinagar       -----  City  of  the  Sun. 

Tabriz      ------  Pinnacle  of  Islam. 

Teheran        _    _     _     _     _  The  Pure. 

Yezd        -__--_  City  of   Light — City   of 

Worship. 


Miscellaneous  Information  U' 


Geographical  Data 

Owing  to  the  variety  of  ways  in  which  the  names  of 
Oriental  localities  are  spelled  when  transliterated,  it  is 
extremely  difficult  to  establish  a  standard  of  spelling. 
Many  curious  examples  of  this  occur  both  on  maps  and 
in  dictionaries.  It  is  certainly  confusing  to  open  an 
atlas  that  is  supposed  to  be  an  authority,  and  find  that 
the  name  one  seeks  differs  in  spelling  from  that  used  in 
the  atlas  first  consulted.  Then  by  looking  into  dic- 
tionaries it  is  found  that  each  of  these  has  a  different 
way  of  spelling  the  word  sought  Then  turning  to  a 
guide  book  of  the  country  there  will  probably  be  found 
not  only  another  combination  of  the  letters,  but  also  a 
conflict  between  the  descriptive  matter  in  the  book  and 
the  map  accompanying  it.  If  books  of  travel  are  con- 
sulted, the  embarrassment  is  still  further  increased. 

After  having  accepted  a  mode  of  spelling  geographi- 
cal names  for  use  in  this  volume,  I  propose  in  the  pages 
that  follow  to  assist  the  reader  to  locate  the  places  men- 
tioned, by  assigning  them  to  their  respective  countries, 
so  that  at  a  glance  he  may  identify  them.  This  classifi- 
cation will  also  be  a  key  to  the  map  that  follows. 


132       Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 

Occasionally  the  name  of  a  place  has  been  inserted 
which  is  not  rug-producing,  but  only  a  mart  for  the 
selling  of  rugs.  This  has  seemed  advisable  as  the 
names  are  intimately  associated  with  the  rug  industry. 

LOCALITIES   ARRANGED    GEOGRAPHICALLT 


AFGHANISTAN 

Balkh. 

Istalif. 

Charikar. 

Jelalabad. 

Ghazni  (Gazne). 

Kabul  (Cabul,  Cabool) 

Gulistan. 

Kandahar. 

Herat. 

Zerni. 

BELUCHISTAN 

Bagh  (Bhag). 

Mastung. 

Belar. 

Ormarah. 

Gundava. 

Quetta. 

Jhalawan  (District). 

Sarawan  (District). 

Kelat 

Sonmeani. 

Khozdar. 

Rustam  Khan. 

CHINESE   EMPIRE 

Canton. 

Hang-chau. 

Fu-chau. 

Kiang-su. 

' iSij^i^^eSSit»f:'0<-m. -li^iSBf^iiwfev?;;*;, wy»»'  -. -  »- ■«>•> 


Indian  Loom  and  Weavers 


^jD 


Miscellaneous  Information 


133 


Ning-po. 

Tient-sing. 

Shang-hai. 

Tsing-chau, 

Shan-tung. 

Tsing-ning, 

Su-chau. 

Tsi-nan. 

PROVINCE  OF  EAST  TURKESTAN 


Karashar. 

Yangi-hissar. 

Kashgar. 

Yarkand. 

Kucha. 

INDIA 

Agra. 

Bombay. 

Ahmedabad. 

Calcutta. 

Allahabad. 

Cawnpur. 

Alleppi. 

Chanda. 

Ambala  (Umballa). 

Deccan  (Dekkan-peninsula) 

Amritsar. 

Delhi. 

Bahadapur  (District). 

Ellore. 

Bangalore. 

Goa. 

Bardwan. 

Gorakhpur  (Gorukpore). 

Benares. 

Haidarabad  (Hyderabad). 

Bellary. 

Jabalpur  (Jubbulpore-Jub- 

Beypur. 

bulpur). 

Bhagalpur  (BogHpoor). 

Jaipur  (Jeypore). 

Bijapur. 

Jalandhar  (Jullinder). 

134      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Jammu  (Jamu). 

Jodhpur. 

Kashmir  (State,  British 

India). 
Khyrpur. 
Kohat. 
Kotah. 
Kushmore. 
Lahore. 
Lucknow. 
Malabar  (District). 
Masulipatam. 
Merut. 
Mirzapur. 
Multan. 


Murshidabad. 

Mysore. 

Nagpur. 

North  Arcot  (District). 

Patna. 

Peshawar. 

Poona  (Pooneh). 

Rampur. 

Rangpur. 

Serampur. 

Shikarpur. 

Srinagar  (Serinuggar). 

Surat. 

Tanjore. 

Warangal.  . 


JAPAN 


Aaitsi-ken. 
Kioto 


Sakai. 
Tokio. 


PERSIA 


Aaragh  (province,  written  Astrabad. 

Irak  on  maps).  Azerbaijan  (Province). 

Ardebal  (District).  Biblkabad. 

Ardebil.  Bijar. 


Miscellaneous  Information 


135 


Birjand. 

Bujnurd. 

Burujird. 

Bushire. 

Enzeli. 

Pars  (Province  Farsis- 

tan). 
Feraghan. 
Ghilan  (Gilan). 
Hamadan, 

Irak-Ajemi  (Province). 
Ispahan  (Market  only). 
Kain  (Ghain,  Ghayn). 
Kashan. 

Karadagh  (District). 
Kermanshah  (Kerman- 

shahan). 
Khonsar. 
Khora-mabad. 
Khorassan  (Khorasan, 

Province). 
Khuzistan  (Ancient 

Susiana,  Province). 
Kirman. 
Kuchan. 


Kurkistan  (the  Persian 

portion). 
Lar. 

Laristan  (Province). 
Luristan  (Province). 
Makran  (Mekran,   District). 
Mazandaran. 
Mehran. 
Meshhed. 
Niriz. 
Nishapur. 
Oustri-Nan. 
Resht. 
Robat. 
Sarakhs. 
Shiraz. 
Shirwan. 
Shuster. 
Sinna. 
Sirab. 

Sultanabad. 
Tabriz  (Tabriez). 
Teheran  (Market  only). 
Yezd. 
Zarand. 


'36      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


russian  empire 

Astrakhan. 

Erivan. 

Baku. 

Kars. 

Batum. 

Kazan. 

Daghestan  (Government). 

Shushu. 

Derbent. 

'  Daghestan. 

'  Karabagh. 

Caucasia  -  < 

Derbent. 

Transcaucasia  < 

Shemakha 

_  Kuba. 

Shirvan. 

CENTRAL   ASIA 

Bokhara. 

Khiva. 

Ferghana  (Province). 

Kokand  (Khokand). 

Hissar. 

Samarkand. 

TURKEY  IN  ASU 

Regions 

Arabia. 

Kurdistan. 

Armenia. 

Mesopotamia. 

Asia  Minor  or  Anatolia. 

Syria. 

Districts 

AND  Towns 

Adana. 

Aidin. 

Adiaman  (Adiyemen). 

Akhissar. 

Afium-Kara- 

lissar. 

Akshehr. 

Miscellaneous  Information 


137 


Aleppo. 

Altun. 

Anatolia  (District). 

Asium. 

Bagdad  (Baghdad),  ship- 
ping port. 

Behesne. 

Beirut. 

Bergama  (Bergamo,  Per- 
gamo). 

Brusa  (Broussa). 

Demirdji. 

Diarbekir. 

El-Hosn. 

Erzerum. 

Fakeh. 

Gemerik. 

Ghiordes  (Cordis,  Qourdes, 
Gurdiz,  ancient  Gordus). 

Haidamoor. 

Hakkam. 

Hayzoor. 

Herez. 

Hissar. 

Horns. 

Jerusalem. 


Kaisarieh  (Caesarea). 

Karahissar. 

Karaman. 

Kerkuk. 

Khorsabad. 

Kir-Shehr. 

Konieh. 

Kulah  (Koula,  Coula). 

Kutahia  (Kutai,    Kutayah). 

Ladik. 

Marash  (Maresh). 

Mecca. 

Medina. 

Milassa  (Melasso,  Mylasso). 

Mosul  (Moussul). 

Mujur. 

Ouchak  (Ushak,  Oushak). 

Safieta. 

Sharjah  (Sharkah,  Sharjah). 

Shirvan. 

Savas. 

Smyrna  (Mart  only). 

Sohar. 

Trebizond. 

Urfa  (Oorfa). 

Zileh  (Zilleh,  Zeli). 


138       Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


AFRICA 


Cairo  (Mart). 

Misratah. 

Kairwan  (the  only  place     Tajura. 

where    the    g 

e  n  u  i  n  e     Tripoli. 

Tunisian  rugs 

are  now 

made). 

Aubusson. 

FRANCE 

Towrcoing, 

Beauvais. 

Tournay. 

Roubaix. 

GREECE 

Agrinion. 

Rachova. 

Owephissa. 


LOCALITIES   ARRANGED   ALPHABETICALLY 


Aaragh,  Persia.  Agra,  India. 

Adana,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Agrinion,  Greece. 

Adiaman,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Ahmedabad,  India. 

Afium-Kara-hissar,  Turkey  Aidin,  Turkey  in  Asia, 

in  Asia.  Aitsi-Ken,  Japan. 


Miscellaneous  Information 


139 


Akhissar,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Akshehr,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Allahabad,  India. 
Alleppi,  India. 
Aleppo,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Altun,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Amabala,  India. 
Amirtsar,  India. 


Anatolia,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Ardebal,  Persia. 
Ardebil,  Persia. 
Asium,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Astrabad,  Persia. 
Astrakan,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Aubusson,  France. 
Azerbaijan,  Persia. 


B 


Bagdad,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Bagh,  Beluchistan. 
Bahadapur,  India. 
Baku,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Balkh,  Afghanistan. 
Bangalore,  India. 
Bard  wan,  India. 
Batum,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Beauvais,  France. 
Behesne,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Beirut,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Belar,  Beluchistan. 
Bellary,  India. 
Benares,  India. 


Bergama,  Turkey  in  Asia- 
Beypur,  India. 
Bijapur,  India. 
Bijar,  Persia. 
Bhagalpur,  India. 
Bibikabad,  Persia. 
Birjand,  Persia. 
Bokhara,  Central  Asia. 
Bombay,  India. 
Brusa,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Bujnurd,  Persia. 
Burujird,  Persia. 
Bushire,  Persia. 


^¥>      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Cairo,  Egypt.  Cawnpur,  India. 

Calcutta,  India.  Chanda,  India. 

Canton,  Chinese  Empire.     Charikar,  Afghanistan. 

D 

Daghestan,  Russia  in  Asia.  Demirdji,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Deccan,  India.  Derbent,  Russia  in  Asia. 

Delhi,  India.  Diabekir,  Turkey  in  Asia. 

E 

El-Hosn,  Turkey  in  Asia.    Erivan,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Ellore,  India.  Erzerum,  Turkey  in  Asia. 

Enzeli,  Persia. 

F 

Fakeh,  Turkey  in  Asia.        Feraghan,  Persia. 

Pars,  Persia.  Fu-chan,  Chinese  Empire. 


Gemerik,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Goa,  India. 

Ghazni,  Afghanistan.  Gorakhpur,  India. 

Ghilan,  Persia.  Gulistan,  Afghanistan. 

Ghiordes,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Gundava,  Beluchistan, 


HO        Rt 


c 


........  id  ji,  Tu"-'-' 


Rug  Designers  in  India 


G 

"•y  in  A 


Miscellaneous  Information 


141 


H 


Haidamoor,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Hayzoor,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Haidarabad,  India.  Herat,  Afghanistan. 

Hakkam,  Turkey  in  Asia.    Herez,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Hamadam,  Persia.  Hissan,  Central  Asia. 

Hang-chau,  Chinese  Em-     Hissar,  Turkey  in  Asia, 
pire.  Horns,  Turkey  in  Asia. 


Irak-Ajemi,  Persia. 
Ispahan,  Persia. 


Istalif,  Afghanistan. 


Jabalpur,  India. 
Jaipur,  India. 
Jalandhar,  India. 
Jammu,  India. 


Jelalabad,  Afghanistan. 
Jerusalem,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Jhalawan,   Beluchistan. 
Joohpur,  India. 


K 

Kabul,  Afghanistan.  Kandahar,  Afghanistan. 

Kain,  Persia.  Karabagh,  Russia  in  Asia. 

Kairwan,  Africa.  Karahissar,  Turkey  in  Asia. 

Kaisarieh,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Karaman,  Turkey  in  Asia. 


'42       Rugs:   Oriental  and  Occidental 


Karashar,  East  Turkestan. 
Kars,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Kashan,  Persia. 
Kashgan,  East  Turkestan. 
Kashmir,  India, 
Kazan,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Kelat,  Beluchistan. 
Kerkuk,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Kermanshah,  Persia. 
Khiva,  Central  Asia. 
Khonsar,  Persia. 
Khora-mabad,  Persia. 
Khorassan,  Persia. 
Khorsabad,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Khozdar,  Beluchistan. 
Khuzistan,  Persia. 


Khyrpur,  India. 
Kiang-su,  Chinese  Empire. 
Kioto,  Japan. 
Kirman,  Persia. 
Kir-Shehr,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Kohat,  India. 
Kokand,  Central  Asia. 
Konieh,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Kotah,  India. 
Kuba,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Kucha,  East  Turkestan. 
Kulah,  Turkey  in  Asia, 
Kurdistan,  Persia. 
Kushmore,  India. 
Kutahia,  Turkey  in  Asia. 


Ladik,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Lahore,  India. 
Lar,  Persia. 


Laristan,  Persia. 
Lucknow,  India. 
Luristan,  Persia. 


M 


Makran,  Persia. 
Malabar,  India. 


Marash,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Mastung,  Beluchistan. 


Miscellaneous  Information  H3 

Masulipatan,  India.  Mirzapur,  India. 

Mazandaran,  Persia.  Misratah,  Africa. 

Mecca,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Mosul,  Turkey  in  Asia. 

Medina,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Mujur,  Turkey  in  Asia. 

Mehran,  Persia.  Multan,  India. 

Merut,  India.  Murshidabad,  India. 

Meshhed,  Persia.  Mysore,  India. 
Milassa,  Turkey  in  Asia. 


N 


Nagpur,  India.  Nishapur,  Persia. 

Ning-po,  Chinese  Empire.   North  Arcot,  India. 
Niriz,  Persia. 

o 

Ormarah,  Beluchistan.  Oustri-nan,  Persia. 

Ouchak,  Turkey  in  Asia.     Owephissa,  Greece. 


Patna,  India.  Poona,  India. 

Peshawar,  India. 

Quetta,   Beluchistan. 


^44      Rugs:  Oriental  and  Occidental 


Rachova,   Greece. 
Rampur,  India. 
Rangpur,  India. 


R 


Resht,  Persia. 
Robat,  Persia. 
Rustam  Khan,  Beluchistan. 


Saiita,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Sakai,  Japan. 
Samarkand,  Central  Asia. 
Sarakhs,  Persia. 
Sarawan,  Beluchistan. 
Savas,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Serampur,  India. 
Shan-hai,  Chinese  Empire. 
Shan-tung,  Chinese  Empire. 
Sharjah,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Shemakha,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Shikarpur,  India. 
Shiraz,  Persia. 
Shirvan,  Turkey  in  Asia. 


s 

Shirvan,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Shirwan,  Persia. 
Shusha,  Russia  in  Asia. 
Shuster,  Persia. 
Sinna,  Persia. 
Sirab,  Persia. 
Smyrna,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Sohar,  Turkey  in  Asia. 
Sonmeani,  Beluchistan. 
Srinagar,  India. 
Su-chau,  Chinese  Empire. 
Sultanabad,  Persia. 
Surat,  India. 


Tabriz,  Persia. 
Tajura,  Africa. 


Tanjore,  India. 
Teheran,  Persia. 


$i^-  i^ttt^".  j&iMiij.f-'  .Sfc.-  ^     :  '^»*Jf. 


g* 


Drying  the  Wool  after  it  has  been  Dyed 


Miscellaneous  Information  H5 

Tient-sing,  Chinese  Em-      Tripoli,  Africa. 

pire.  Tsi-nan,  Chinese  Empire. 

Tokio,  Japan.  Tsing-chau,  Chinese  Em- 

Tourcoing,  France.  pire. 

Tourney,  France.  Tsing-ning,  Chinese  Em- 

Trebizond,  Turkey  in  Asia.     pire. 

u  w 

Urfa,  Turkey  in  Asia.  Warangal,  India. 


Yarkand,  East  Turkestan.    Yezd,  Persia. 


Zarand,  Persia.  Zileh,  Turkey  in  Asia. 

Zerni,  Afghanistan. 


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Ancient  Symbol  Worship. 
Westwood's  Illumination. 

Wheeler,  Samuel  Green  ;  Persia  and  the  Persians. 
Wilkinson,  Sir  J.  Gardner;  The  Ancient  Egyptians. 
Williams,  S.  Wells;  The  Middle  Kingdom. 
Wilson,    The   Rev.   Samuel   Graham,    M.   A. ;   Persian 

Life  and  Customs. 
Winkleman,  Johann  Joachim;    History   of   Art  among 

the  Greeks. 
Wyatt,    M.   Digby;  Industrial  Arts  of  the  Nineteenth 

Century. 
Zerffi,  G.  C. ;  A  Manual  of  the  Historical  Development 

of  Art 


INDEX 


Abbas  Shah,  encourages  rug-weaving, 

39; 

Abenakee  Rug,  character  of,   iio. 

Aberbaijan,  Herez  rugs  made  in,  46. 

Adana,rugs  from, woven  at  Csesarea,  52. 

^schylus,  mentions  rugs,  6. 

Afghanistan,  tribes  from,  originally  wove 
Herat  rugs,  45;  plate  and  descrip- 
tion of  rug  from,  70;  characteristics 
of  rugs  from,  70;  rugs  similar  to 
Beluchistans,  72. 

Agra  rugs,  characteristic  of,  66;  fine 
specimens  of,  66;  Dhurries  made 
at  Agra,  67. 

Akbar,  Emperor,  sent  for  Persian  weav- 
ers, 63. 

Akhissar,  quality  of  rugs  woven  at,  54. 

Albee,  Mrs.  Helen  R.,  rugs  made  by, 
1 10. 

Alexander  the  Great,  mention  of,  39. 

Alizarin,  color  from  Rubia,  29. 

Allahabad  rugs,  quality  of,  66. 

America,  does  not  appreciate  Kurdish 
designs,  55. 

American  rug  importers  are  sponsors 
for  Oriental  rug -weaving,  24;  firms 
send  designs  to  India,  2  7 ;  encourage 
industry  in  Persia,  43;  established  in 
Ouchak,  56;  at  Amritsar,  66. 


Ames,  Governor,  description  of  Chinese 
rug  owned  by,  89. 

Amritsar  rugs,  quality  of,  66. 

Anatolian  rugs,  quality  of,  54;  rugs 
from  Kutahia,  56 ;  nomads  weave 
Yuruks,  59 ;  prayer  rugs  inferior 
quality  of,  95  ;  nomads  weave 
Khilims,  99;  plate  and  description 
of  prayer  rug  from,  104. 

Angora  Goat,  wool  of,  19. 

Aniline  dye  not  desirable,  29. 

Animals,  not  permitted  in  designs  by 
Mohammedanism,  2  7 ;  used  in 
Meshhed,  47;  in  modern  Tabriz, 
50;  Jaipur,  67;  Kashgar,  76; 
Kabistan,  79;   in  hunting  rugs,  96. 

Arabian  rug,  plate  and  description  of, 
58. 

Arabic  designs  used  in  Kir-Shehr  rugs, 

55- 
Arabs    introduced     rug-weaving    into 

Europe,  104. 
Armenian  quoted,  56. 
Armenians  weave  Turkish  rugs,  52. 
Arrian    mentions    rugs,    6;    speaks    of 

Indigo,   30. 
Art    Schools    in    Western    Countries 

fiirnish  designs,  14. 
Ashkabad,  Turkomans  dye  rugs  at,  73. 


154 


Index 


Assyria,  rug-weaving  introduced,  7. 
Assyrian  color  and  design  followed  to- 
day, 7;  in  India,  64. 
Astrabad,  felt  rugs  woven  at,  97. 
Athenaeus  mentions  rugs,  6. 
Attrek,  home  of  the  Sharokhs,  63. 
Aubusson,  important  factory  at,  106. 


Austria,  Imperial  house  of,  owns  fine 
hunting  rug,  96 ;  fine  rugs  made 
in,  106. 

Average  size  of  large  rug,  28. 

Aylants  make  Karadagh  rugs,  46. 

Azerbaijan,  rugs  from,  50. 


B 


Babylon,  date  of  fall  of,   7;  symbolism 

in  color  at,  32. 
Babylonian,  color  and  design  followed 

to-day  in  Orient,  7. 
Bakhshis  rugs,  characteristics  of,  44. 
Barbarike  exported  indigo,  30. 
Bayer,  F.,  quoted,  120, 
Beginning  of  rug  manufacture,  7,  36. 
Beluchistan  rugs,  characteristics  of,  72; 

similarity  to  Afghans,  72;  design  is 

geometrical,  72;  coloring  dark,  72; 

durability  of,  72;  sometimes  sold  as 

Bokharas,  72. 
Beni  Hassan,  testimony  of,  4. 
Berea   College,   Kentucky;  rugs  made 

at,  113. 
Bergamo  rugs,  quality  of,  54. 
Berlin    Museum    has    unique    hunting 

rug,  96. 
Best   known   American   rug    importers 

sponsors  for  Oriental  rug-weaving, 

24. 
Bethlehem,  coarse  cloth  woven  at,  92. 
Bhawulpore,  silk  rugs  woven  at,  70. 
Biblical  writers  mention  rugs,  6. 
Bibliography,  147. 
Biiar,  rugs  woven  in,  41. 


Biratori,  people  of,  weave  mats,  13. 
Birch,  Dr.  Samuel,  quoted,  5. 
Bride's  Rug,  meaning  of,  100. 
Birds  in  Meshhed  designs,  46;  in  Kir- 
mans,  47. 
Bird  wood.  Sir  George  C,  quoted,  12. 
Birjand  rugs,  characteristics  of,  44. 
Burnjird  rugs,  woven  at,  50. 
Bishop,  Isabella  Bird,  quoted,  13. 
Bishop,  Mrs.,  quoted,  88. 
Black,  symbolic  use  of  by  Egyptians, 

32;    used  to    outline   other    colors, 

32;  symbol  of  vice,  33. 
Blue,  symbol  of  truth,  3  2 ;  and  indigo 

symbol  of  sorrow,  32. 
Bokharas,  Beluchs  sometimes  sold  for, 

72;    furnishes    dye    for    Turkoman 

rugs,  73. 
Bombay,  dhurries  woven  at,  67. 
Boston    Museum  has    unique    hunting 

rug,  96. 
Boulak,  last  factory  for  rugs  in  Egypt, 

38. 
Brussels,    power  loom    used    in,     14; 

produces  fine  rugs,  106. 
Buyer's  defense,  22. 
Byzantine  influence  in  Greece,  8. 


Index 


155 


Caesar  receives  Cleopatra,  6. 
Caesarea,  much  rug  weaving  done  at, 

52;  silk  rugs  woven  at,  88. 
Cairo  important  mart  for  rugs,  38. 
Camel,    use    of  hair    from,    20;    in 

Turkoman  rugs,  73. 
Caucasian  rugs,  characteristics  of,  78. 
Carpets,  identical  with  rugs,  3. 
Cawnpore,  dhurries  made  at,  67. 
Chaldea,  rug- weaving  begun  in,  7. 
Characteristics  of  Persian  rugs,  44;  of 

Turkish    rugs,     54;    of  Turkoman 

rugs,  76;  of  Caucasian  rugs,  78. 
Chehel  Sitoon,  description  of  great  rug 

at,  70. 
Chichi,  same  as  Tehechen,  81. 
Chinese    rugs,   modern  different   from 

antique,     89;     designs    in    hunting 

rugs,  96. 
Chinese  rugs  have  antique  designs,  90. 
Chinese    fret,    dragon    and    fishes    in 

Kashgar  rugs,  76;  Samarkands,  77; 

symbolism,    1 24. 
Chinese  green,  where  obtained,  30. 
Chinese,   yellow  royal   color   of,    33; 

character  of  Kashgar  rugs,    76;  in 

Samarkands,  7  7 ;  first  wove  silk  rugs, 

86;  characteristics  of  rugs,  89;  plate 

and  description  of  antique  wool  rug, 

90. 
Chinese  Thibet,  wool  produced  in,  1 9. 


Christians  weave  Turkish  rugs,  52. 

Circassians  weave  Turkish  rugs,  52. 

Circular  rugs  found  in  China,  90. 

Classical  writers  refer  to  Tyrian  pur- 
ple; 32. 

Cleopatra  and  Cxsar,  6. 

Clive,  Lord,  care  for  an  India  rug,  65. 

Coccus  Cacti  produces  cochineal  dye, 
30. 

Cochineal  used  for  dyeing,  29. 

Colbert  fosters  the  rug  industry  in 
France,  105. 

Colonial  Loom  used  for  Onteora  rug, 

113- 

Color,  rug  manufacture  incentive  for 
blending  of,  3 ;  used  in  Orient  to-day 
follows  ancient  examples,  7;  Orien- 
tals delight  in  subdued,  9;  Persian 
rugs  excel  in,  26;  aniline  dye  fades, 
2  9 ;  three,  from  Rubia,  2  9 ;  significance 
attached  to,  32;  in  Ancient  Tabriz 
rug  superior,  50;  Akhissar  rugs  are 
green  and  red,  54. 

Constantinople,  mart  for  Turkish  rugs, 
52;  art  of  silk  rug-weaving  intro- 
duced into,  86;  St.  Sophia  at,  93. 

Cost  of  a  Persian  rug,  17. 

Cotton  used  in  India  rug-weaving,  64; 
in  Japan,  91. 

Countries  raising  Indigo  plant,  30. 

Cypress  tree  in  Jaipur  designs,  67. 


D 


Daghestan  rugs,  characteristics  of,  78; 
plate  and  description  of,  78;  Soumaks 
resemble,  8 1 . 


Damascus,  few  rugs  woven  at,  92. 
Daraksh,  Birjand  rugs  made  at,  44. 


156 


Index 


Design,  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  ex- 
amples followed  to-day,  7;  at  Nine- 
veh in  palaces,  7 ;  in  Western  Coun- 
tries fomished  by  Art  Schools,  14; 
in  Eastern  rugs  often  spontaneous, 
26;  Persian  rugs  excel  in  artistic,  26; 
generally  floral,  26;  number  of,  in 
antique  Persian  rugs,  27;  recorded 
on  a  talim,  28;  bold,  show  best  on 
a  large  rug,  28;  localities  in  Persia 
have  characteristic,  41 ;  differ  in  each 
Turkish  district,  52;  in  Anatolian 
rugs  varied,  54;  in  Bergamo's  geo- 
metrical or  floral  Arabic  origin,  54; 
in  Kir-Shehr  rugs,  55;  animal,  not 
permitted  by  Mahomet,  27;  families 
and  tribes  have  individual,  27;  de- 
signs now  sent  from  Occident  to 
Orient,  27;  rosettes  and  palmettes 
in  Feraghans,  44;  floral,  45,  46, 
48,  49,  50,  54,  67,  77;  palm,  45, 
47,  48,  49,  80;  Arabic  designs  in 
Kir-Shehr  rugs,  55;  Smyrna  rugs 
have  irregular,  59;  in  India  rugs 
remind  one  of  Persia,  64;  Lahore 
rugs  have  Persian,  67;  in  Abenikee 
rugs  of  unique  character,  ill;  har- 
mony of  in  Sabatos  rug,  112;  in 
Navajo  rugs,  115;  animals,  47,  50, 


67«  76,  79;  Tree  of  Life,  47,  76; 

medallion  design,  45,  46,  47,  48, 

66,  77;  geometrical  figures,  54,  70, 

74,  76,  78,  79,  80,  81. 
Derbent   rugs,   characteristics  of,    78; 

plate  and  description  of,  100. 
Definition  of  rug,  3. 
"  Descriptions  des  Arts  et  Metiers," 

Morris  indebtedness  to,  108. 
Deccan,  rugs  woven  in,  13. 
Delhi,  Dhurries  woven  at,  67. 
Dewsbury,  power  loom  used  in,  14. 
Dhurrie  rugs,  quality  of,  67. 
Difficulty  of  transliteration  of  Oriental 

proper  names,  133. 
Districts,  in  Persia  have  individual  de- 
signs, 5 1 ;  in  Turkey  have  individual 

designs,  52. 
Dupont  introduced   rug-weaving    into 

France,  104. 
Durability  of  Beluchs,  72;  of  Khivas, 

76;   of  Soumaks,    80;   of  Sabatos, 

1 12. 
Durham,  power  loom  used  at,  1 4. 
Duty   on  rugs,    how   assessed    in    the 

United  States,  42. 
Dye,  Phoenician  purple,  6;  kinds  used, 

29;  vegetable,  used  in  Sabatos  rugs, 

112. 


Edward  IIL  invited  Flemish  weavers 

to  England,  107. 
EUore,  quality  of  rugs  from,  67. 
Egypto-Chaldean    forms    in     modem 

rugs,  7. 
Egypt,  rock  cut  tombs  of,  4;  ancient 


rug  of,  5;  rug- weaving  begun  in,  7, 
37;  decline  of  the  art,  37;  imports 
many  rugs,  38;  symbolism  of,  125. 
Egyptians,  care  of,  in  weaving,  7; 
lovers  of  nature,  7;  used  hand 
loom  similar  to  those  in  use  now. 


Index 


157 


1 1 ;  principal  colors  used  by,  3  2 ; 
learn  to  make  mats,  37;  use  rugs 
for  decoration,  37;  now  make  only 
coarse  rugs,  37. 
Eleanora  introduced  rugs  into  England, 
107. 


England,  rug-weaving  introduced  into, 

107. 
Esarhaddon,  use  of  rugs  by,  7. 
European  firms  send  designs  to  India, 

28;  located  at  Amritsar,  66. 
Export  trade  of  Persia,  doubtful  value 

of,  41. 


Fars,  women  weavers  in,  invent  de- 
signs, 26;  rugs  woven  in,  41. 

Felt  rugs,  characteristics  of,  97. 

Feraghan,  rugs  woven  in,  41;  char- 
acteristics of  rugs  woven  in,  44; 
plate  and  description  of,  108. 

Firms  with  factories  in  India,  24. 

Flemish  weavers  brought  to  England, 
107. 

Floral  designs  in  Persia,  26;  in 
Hamadans,     45 ;     Karadaghs,    46; 


Khorassans,  46;  Sarabands,  48; 
Sarakhs,  48;  Shiraz,  49;  Sinna,  49; 
Tabriz,  50;  Bergamo,  54;  Ghior- 
des,  54;  Jaipur,  67;    Samarkands, 

77- 

France,  rug-weaving  introduced  into, 
8,  105;  silk- weaving  introduced 
into,  86;  indebtedness  to  Colbert, 
105;  to  the  Saracens,  105. 

Fresco  at  Thebes,  4. 


Genghis  rugs,  characteristics  of,  76. 

Genghis,  Khan  invaded  Central  Asia, 
76. 

Geometrical  figures  used  in  Bergamos, 
54;  in  Afghans,  70;  Tekk6  Turko- 
man, 74;  Genghis,  76;  Daghes- 
tans,  78;  Derbent,  78;  Kazak,  79; 
Shirvan,  80;  Soumak,  81;  Tehee- 
hen,  81. 

Geographical  data,  131. 

German,  factories  in  Turkey,  1 3 ;  fine 
rugs  made  by,  106. 

Ghilan  produced  fine  quality  of  silk,87. 

Ghileem  same  as  Khilim,  99. 


Ghiordes,  knot,  23;  plate  and  descrip- 
tion of  old  prayer  rug,  50;  rugs 
characteristics  of,  54;  best  piayer  rugs 
firom  Ghiordes,  9;. 

Goats  flourish  in  mountainous  districts, 
53;  hair  of,  woven  into  mohair, 
Smyrna  rugs,  5  3 ;  Paul's  Tent  Cloth, 
5  3 ;  Genghis  rugs  woven  from  hair 
of,  76. 

Gobelin's  factory  consolidated  with  la 
Savonnerie,  105. 

Gorevan  rugs,  characteristics  of,  45. 

Grand  Prix  awarded  to  fine  Persian 
rug,  25. 


158 


Index 


Grant,  Mrs.  F.  D.,  mention  of,  66. 

Great  Britain  power  loom  used  in,  14; 
produces  many  rugs,  107. 

Greece,  rug  weaving  industry  as  an- 
cient as  the  nation,  104;  rugs  sel- 
dom exported,  104. 

Greeks  reach  perfection  in  rug-weav- 
ing, 7;   corrupted   by  Byzantine  in- 


fluence, 8;  weave  Turiash  rugs,  52; 
learn  silk  rug- weaving,  86. 

Greens,  sources  of,  30;  favorite  with 
Persians,  32;  symbol  of  knowledge 
of  Most  High,  33;  sacred  color  in 
Turkey,  36;  in  Ouchak,  57. 

Guendje,  another  name  for  Genghis, 
76. 


H 


Haidarabad,  quality  of,  rugs,  67. 

Halifax,  power  loom  used  at,  14. 

Ramadan,  plate  and  description  of 
Camel  Hair  Mat  from,  24;  rugs 
woven  in,  41 ;  characteristics  of,  45. 

Hand  loom,  oriental  in  its  origin,  1 1 ; 
description  of,  11. 

Hay,  Mr.,  owner  of  Egyptian  rug,  5. 

Hebron,  rugs  in  mosque  at,  8. 

Henry  IV. ,  rug- weaving  introduced  in- 
to France  during  the  reign  of,   105. 

Herat,  weavers  from  settle  in  Khor- 
rassan,  70. 


Herat,  weavers  from,  wove  Birjand 
rugs,  44;  characterisdcs  of  rugs 
woven  at,  45;  popularity  of  rugs 
from,  63. 

Herez  rugs,  characteristics  of,  46. 

Hindoo  ideas  found  expression  in 
India,  64. 

History  and  details  of  rug- weaving,  3. 

Holland,  fine  rugs  made  in,  106. 

Homer  mentions  rugs,  6. 

Horace  mentions  rugs,  6. 

Holy  Land,  character  of  rugs  from,  92. 

Hunting  rugs,  characteristics  of,  96. 


I 


India,  description  ot  loom  used  in 
western,  1 2 ;  boys  and  men  weave 
in,  15;  knotting  in,  24;  firms  having 
factories  in,  24;  designs  sent  to  by 
American  firms,  27;  produces  mad- 
der dye,  29;  Indigofera  tinctoria 
produces  large  amount  of  color,  3 1 ; 
exports  rugs  to  Egypt,  38;  date  of 
beginning  to  manufacture  rugs  in, 
63;  rugs  not  so  popular  as  Persian, 
63;  designs  in,  named  after  owners. 
64;   Assyrian    types   in  rugs   from. 


64;  Persian  rugs  more  expensive 
than  rugs  from,  64;  plate  and  des- 
cription of  rug  from,  64;  Lord 
Clive's  care  for  a  rug  from,  65; 
characteristics  of  rugs,  66  j  Sindhs 
least  durable  of  rugs  from,  69;  silk 
rug- weaving  introduced  into,  86; 
symbolism  of,  127. 

Indigo,  much  valued,  30;  and  black 
symbol  of  sorrow,  32. 

Industrial  Museum  at  Berlin,  inscrip- 
tion on  rug  at,  121. 


Index 


159 


Inscriptions  frequently  used  in  Serapi 

rugs,  48;  on  rugs,  1 19. 
Invention  of  Spinning,  legend  of,  4.. 
Irak-Ajemi,  Kirinan  rugs  made  in,  47; 

Sinna  rugs  made  in,  48. 


Iran,  official  name  of  Persia,  46. 
Ispahan,  rugs    woven   at,    41;  prayer 

rugs  from,  94. 
Italy,  rug- weaving  introduced  into,  8; 

silk  rug- weaving  introduced  into,  86. 


J 


Jaipur,  quality  of  rugs,  67. 

Jalal-ud-Din,  Mahomed,  sent  for  Per- 
sian weavers,  63. 

Japan,  people  at  Biratori  weave  mats, 
1 3 ;  silk  rug-weaving  introduced  into, 
86;  character  of  rugs  from,  91;  Per- 


sian designs  used  in,  91;  symbolism 

of,  iz8. 
Jewish  legend  invention  of  spinning,  4. 
Jails,  Indian  rugs  manufactured  in,  64; 

Agra  rugs  woven  in,  66. 
Josephus  mentions  rugs,  6. 


K 


Kabistan  rugs,  characteristics  of,  79. 
Kabul,  19;  rugs  found  at,  70. 
Karabagh  rugs,  characteristics  of,   46, 

78. 
Karajadagh,  principal  rug-weaving  dis- 
trict of  Turkey,  52. 
Karaman,  characteristics  of  rugs,  54. 
Karminian,    woven    by    nomads,    99; 

character  of,   99. 
Kashgar    rugs,    characteristics    of,  76; 

Yarkand  rugs  similar  to,  77. 
Kashmir,    produces    finest    wool,  19; 

mention  of  famous    rug    from,  24; 

development   of  rug  industry,    65; 

Soumaks  are  erroneously  called,  8 1 . 
Kazak  rugs,  plate  and  description  of, 

20;  characteristics  of,  79. 
Kelim,  same  as  Khilim,  99. 
Kenya-Dania,    shepherds   of,   use    felt 

rugs,  97- 


Kermanshah  rugs,  characteristics  of,  46. 

Kermes  dye  is  a  red,  30. 

Khilim,  flat  stitch  in,  23;  plate  and  des- 
cription of,  54;  characteristics  of, 
rugs,  99;  popularity  of,  100. 

Khiva  rugs,  characteristics  of,  76. 

Khorassan,  rugs  woven  at,  41 ;  charac- 
teristics of  rugs  of,  46;  plate  and 
description  of,  46;  Meshhed  rugs, 
47 ;  weavers  from  Herat  settle  in,  70. 

Khorsabad,  rug  design  in  palace  of,  7. 

Khotan,  silk  rugs  exquisite  quality  of, 
87;  felt  rugs  woven  at,  97. 

ELidderminster  power  loom  used  at,  1 4. 

Kilim,  same  as  Khilim,  99. 

Kis  Khilims,  sentiment  in,  99. 

Kirman,  rugs  woven  at,  41;  Kerman- 
shah rugs  woven  in,  47;  character- 
istics of,  47;  plate  and  description 
of,  94. 


i6o 


Index 


Kir-Shehr  nigs,  characteristics  of,  55. 
Knotting,  23;  Indian,  24;  in  a  Waran- 

gal  rug,  69. 
Konieh  rugs,  characteristics  of,  55. 
Koran  forbids  animal  forms  in  designs, 

27;  law  of  prayer  in,  94. 
Kotan-Daria,    shepherds    of,    use    felt 

rugs,  97. 
Koyinjik,  design  in  palace  at,  7. 


Kulah  rugs,  characteristics  of,  55. 

Kuba,  Kabistan  rugs  woven  at,  79. 

Kurdish  weave  of  Karminian  resemble 
prayer  rugs,  99. 

Kurdistan,  rugs  woven  in,  41 ;  charac- 
teristics of  rugs  from,  47,  54. 

Kurds  weave  Turkish  rugs,  52. 

Kutahia  exports  Anatolian  rugs,  56. 


Ladik,  characteristics  of,  rugs,  56. 

Lahore,  characteristics  of,  rugs,  67. 

Localides  arranged  alphabetically,  138. 

Localities  arranged  geographically,  132. 

Laristan,  rugs  woven  in,  47. 

La  Savonnerie,  factory  at,  105;  con- 
solidated with  Gobelins,  105. 

Lobanou-Rostowsky  Alexis,  mention 
of,  24. 


Loom,  exquisite  work  of,  in  Orient,  9; 
and  its  work,  1 1 ;  description  of, 
1 1 ;  primitive  character  of  Smyrna, 
59;  Navajo's  imitate  Orient,  115. 

Lourdes,  estabhshed  a  factory  in  France, 
105. 

Lucan  mentions  rugs,  6. 

Lucknow,  Dhurrie  rugs  woven  at,  67. 


M 


Madder  dye  ranks  high,  29. 

Mahomet,  followers  of,  use  prayer 
rugs,  93. 

Map,  136. 

Marbles  of  Nineveh,  5. 

Marquand,  Mr.,  fine  French  rug 
owned  by,  106. 

Masulipatan,  quality  ot  rugs  from,  67. 

Mats,  Egyptians  make,  out  of  papy- 
rus, 36. 

Meaning  of  place-names  associated  with 
rugs,  131. 

Mecca  rug,  Shiraz  rug  often  so-called, 
49. 


Medallion,  design  in  Gorevans,  45; 
Hamadans,  45;  Herats,  45;Herez, 
45;  Kirmans,  46;  Sarakhs,  47; 
Serapi,  47;  Shiraz,  48;  Haidara- 
bad,  67;  Samarkands,  77. 

Meles  rugs,  characteristics  of,  56. 

Mersherski  first  made  Pohsh  rugs,  85. 

Merv,  nomads  of,  weave  Khilims,  99. 

Meshhed  rugs  woven  at,  46;  Turko- 
mans supply  the  markets  at,  73. 

Mesopotamia,  witness  of,  4. 

Metellus  mentions  rugs,  6. 

Mysore,  quality  of,  rugs,  68. 

Milassa  manufactures  Meles  rugs,  56. 


Index 


i6i 


Mir  Saraband,  fineness  of  quality  of 
48. 

Mirzapur,  quality  of  rugs  from,  68. 

Miscellaneous  information,  117. 

Miscellaneous  symbolism,  127. 

Mohammedan  religion  forbids  repre- 
sentation of  animal  forms,  27; 
Shiah  sect  does  not  obey,  27;  green 
sacred  color  of,  33;  introduce  rug- 
weaving  into  India,  63;  mosque 
plan  of,  93. 

Mohair  rugs,  made  of  goats'  hair,  53, 
57;  woven  at  Akhissar,  54. 


Moodj,  quality  of  rugs,  68. 

Moorish  rugs,  resemble  Smymas,  104; 

Navajos  follow,  1 1 4. 
Morris,  William,  weave  of  rugs,  108; 

dyes  used  by,  108. 
Moslem  women  weave  Ouchak  rugs, 

57- 
Mosul,  characteristics  of  rugs  from,  56. 
Multan,  characteristics  of  rugs,  68. 
Murex,  Phoenician  purple,  6. 
Museum  in  Austria,  inscription  on  rug 

in,  120. 


N 


Naamah,  legend  of,  4. 

Names  given  to  rugs  often  misleading, 

69. 
Navajo     rugs,     character     of,      114; 

plate  and  description  of,  114;  scarcity 

of,  1 16. 
New    England   hooked    or    rag   rug, 

character  of,  1 1 1 . 


Nineveh,    marbles  of,   5;  date  of  fall 

of,  7- 
Nomad  weavers,    15;  habits  of,    16; 

wool  for  Ouchaks  bought  from,  57; 

of    Anatolia    weave    Yuruks,     59; 

Afghans,   70;  Turkoman  rugs,  73; 

Kazaks,  79;  Chichi  nomads  weave 

Tehechens,  80;  weave  Khilims,  99. 


o 


Occidental,  power  loom  is,  1 1 ;  designs 
sent  to  the  Orient,  27;  rug- weaving 
particulars  of,  103. 

Onteora  rug,  character  of,  113. 

Orient  follows  ancient  examples  in 
color  and  design,  7;  women  are  the 
rug-weavers  in,  15;  Occidental  de- 
signs sent  to,  27;  Sharokh's  weave 
rugs  popular  in,  63;  use  of  Khilims 
in,  100. 

Oriental,  hand-loom  is,  11;  description 
of,    II;    in    modern   design   not  to 


depend  on,  27;  antique  designs  now 
rearranged,  29;  colors,  32;  rugs 
firmer  than  Polish,  88;  Symbolism, 
121. 

Orientals  engaged  in  rug-weaving  in 
the  United  States,  9;  delight  in  sub- 
dued colors,  9;  best  vyith  soft  dyes, 
29. 

Osiris,  priests  robed  in  white,  32. 

Ouchaks  resemble  Konieh  rugs,  55; 
characteristics  of,  57. 


l62 


Index 


Palestine  produces  no  rugs  of  import- 
ance, 92. 

Palm  used  in  Hamadans,  45;  in 
Khorassans,  46;  in  Kurdistans,  47; 
in  Sarabands,  48;  Shiraz,  49;  Sinna, 
50;  Kazak,  80. 

Palmer,  Mrs.  Potter,  mention  of,  66. 

Patna  rugs,  quality  of,  67. 

Paul's  Tent  Cloth,  woven  of  goats 
hair,  53;  how  made,  53. 

Papyrus  used  by  Egyptians  to  make 
mats,  36. 

Pashim  wool,  quality  of,  19. 

Peacock  throne,  fine  silk  rug  before,  87. 

Persia,  Shiah  sect  in,  27;  exports  rugs 
to  Egypt,  58;  excellency  in  rug- 
weaving,  39;  origin  of  art  unknown, 
39;  civilization  in,  39;  Abbas  Shah 
encourages  rug -weaving  in,  39; 
■decadence  of  the  art,  40;  revival  of 
it,  40;  important  source  of  income 
in,  40;  localities  to  which  rug- weav- 
ing was  restricted,  41 ;  extension  of 
industry  in,  41 ;  women  of  all  classes 
weave,  41;  export  trade,  value  of, 
41;  tribes  from,  wove  Herat  rugs, 
45;  Iran  official  name  of,  46;  Em- 
peror Akbar  sent  for  weavers  to,  63 ; 
rugs  from,  more  expensive  than 
India,  64;  art  of  silk  rug-weaving 
introduced  into,  84;  designs  from, 
•copied  atCaesarea,  88;  designs  from, 
copied  in  Japan,  9 1 ;  small  embroid- 
ered rugs  from,  94;  Hunting  rugs 
from,  remarkable,  96;  France  intro- 
duces the  art  from,  105;  symbolism 
•of,  126. 


Persian,  knot,  23;  design  in  Jaipur 
and  Lahore,  rugs,  67. 

Persian  rug,  place  of  Tree  of  Life  in, 
■  5 ;  cost  of,  17;  number  of  stitches 
in,  2  1;  excel  in  color  and  design, 
26;  design  generally  floral,  26;  in 
Pars  women  invent  designs,  26; 
number  of  designs  in,  27;  plate  and 
description  of  antique,  28;  character 
of  the  finest,  39;  demand  for,  in 
America,  43 ;  value  of,  51;  charac- 
teristics of,  44;  finer  woven  than 
Turkish,  52;  more  popular  than  In- 
dia, 62;  plate  and  description  of  silk 
rug  from,  86;  cost  of  silk,  88. 

Persians  dislike  bright  colors,  32;  use 
of  rugs  by,  40;  prefer  small  rugs,  40; 
use  finest  rugs  for  hangings,  4 1 . 

Peshawar,  19. 

Philadelphia  power  loom  used  at,  14; 
growth  of  industry  in,  I  lo. 

Phoenician  Art,  relation  to  Egyptian 
and  Babylonian,  6;  dye  made  in,  6, 

30- 

Place-names  associated  with  rugs, 
meaning  of,  1 29. 

Plautus  mentions  rugs,  6. 

Pliny  mentions  rugs,  6;  mentions  In- 
digo, 30. 

Polish  rugs,  characteristics  of,  85. 

Power  loom.  Occidental  origin,  1 1 ; 
used  chiefly  in  United  States  and 
Great  Britain,  14. 

Prayer  rugs,  characteristics  of,  93. 

Priests  of  Zena  robed  in  white,  32. 

Principal  colors  of  Ancient  Egyptians, 
32- 


Index 


163 


Punjab,  Lahore,  capital  of,  67. 
Purpurin,  color  from  Rubia,  29. 


Pushmina  rugs,  quality  of,  69. 


Quality  in  rugs,  21. 


Q 

I  Quaritch,  Bernhard,  quoted,  108. 


R 


Ralph,  Julian,  quoted,  63. 

Red,  produced  from  Rubia,  29;  sym- 
bol for  zeal,  32;  truth,  33. 

Resht,  silk  rug-weaving  at,  88. 

Rhamnus  chlorophorus  produces  yel- 
low, 30. 

Rhamnus  utilis  produces  yellow,  30. 

Rochdale,  power  loom  used  in,  1 4. 

Romans  valued  indigo  for  blue,  30. 

Rose,  symbol  of  divine  wisdom,  32. 

Rothschild,  Baron  Adolph,  owns 
unique  hunting  rug,  96. 

Rothschild,  Baron  Nathaniel,  inscrip- 
tion on  rug  owned  by,  1 20. 

Rubia  tinctorum  makes  madder  dye, 
29. 

Rugs,  utility  of,  3;  origin  of  need  for, 
3;  weaving  of,  began,  3;  definition 
of,  3;  identical  with  carpets,  4; 
ancient  Egyptian  example,  5;  used 
as  awnings  and  coverings  by  As- 
syrian kings,  7;  Greek  perfection  in 
weaving,  7;  used  as  decorations 
since  the  earliest  times,  8;  use  of  in 
modern  fetes,  8;  increasing  demand 
for,  9 ;  woven  in  Deccan,  1 3 ;  wool 
used  in,  19;  from  the  Orient  care- 
fiilly  selected,  22;  designs  shown 
best  in  large,   28;    average  size    of 


large,  28;  with  aniline  dyes  fade, 
29;  used  for  decoration  in  Egypt, 
37;  Egypt  now  makes  only  coarse 
rugs,  37;  fine  quality  of,  in  Persia 
in  ancient  times,  39;  important 
source  of  income  in  Persia,  40; 
universality  of  use  of,  in  Persia,  40; 
Persians  reach  their  prime,  40; 
used  for  decoration  in  Persia,  41; 
quality  of,  produced  by  foreign  firms 
in  Persia,  43;  sources  of  Turkish 
rugs,  52;  how  used  in  Turkey,  53; 
characteristics  of  Turkish  rugs,  54; 
woven  in  Kashmir,  65;  character- 
istics of  India,  66;  at  palace  of 
Chetel  Sitoon,  70;  character  of 
Tekke  Turkoman,  74;  antiquity  of 
Greek  rugs,  103. 

Rug- weaving,  Saracens  learn,  8;  in- 
troduced into  Europe,  8;  by  Ori- 
entals in  United  States,  9 ;  in  Egypt, 
Persia,  and  Turkey,  35;  excellency 
attained  in  Persia,  39;  encouraged 
by  Abbas  Shah,  39;  originally  re- 
stricted in  Persia,  41;  extension  of 
districts  in  modern  Persia,  41 ;  in 
the  Occident,  102. 

Russia,  Rubia  grows  wild  in,  29. 


164 


Index 


Sabastos  rug,  character  of,  1:2. 

Saddlebags,  woven  in  Feraghan,  44. 

Saffron  produces  yellow,  30. 

Samarkand  rugs,  plate  and  description 
of,  38;  characteristics  of,  77;  silk 
rugs  from,  88. 

Sand,  rug  designs  drawn  in,  26. 

Saraband  rugs,  qualily  of,  48. 

Saracens  manufacture  rugs,  8. 

Saracens  introduced  tapestry  weaving 
into  France,  105. 

Sarakhs,  plate  and  description  of,  32; 
characteristics  of  rugs,  48. 

Sardanapalus  and  the  marbles  of  Nine- 
veh, 6;  use  of  rugs  by,  7. 

Sargon,  use  of  rugs  by,  7. 

Savalans,  name  given  to  Sultanabad 
rugs,  50. 

Scipio  mentions  rugs,  6. 

Scotland,  power  loom  used  in,  14. 

Se-Ling-She  discovered  art  of  weaving 
silk  rugs,  86. 

Sennacherib,  use  of  rugs  by,  7. 

Serapi  rugs,  characteristics  of,  48. 

Servia,  Khilims  woven  in,  99. 

Seville,  fine  Moorish  rugs  at,  104. 

Sedentary  weavers,  1 5 . 

Sharokhs  weave  rugs  popular  in  the 
Orient,  63. 

Shawls,  art  of  weaving  in  Kashmir  de- 
clines, 65. 

Sheep  thrive  in  mountainous  districts, 

53- 
Shemakha,  correct  name  for  Soumaks, 

81. 
Shiah  sect  in  Persia,  27. 


Shiraz  rugs,  plate  and  description  of, 

16;  quality    of,    48;    often    called 

Mecca  rug,  49. 
Shirvan    rugs,    characteristics  of,    80; 

Tehechens    resemble,    80;   Khilims 

woven  at,  99. 
Shuster,  rugs  woven   in,  fi-om   earliest 

times,  39,  41. 
Sicily,  rug- weaving  introduced  into,  8; 

silk  rug-weaving  introduced  into,  86. 
Silk,  used  in  Polish  rugs,  8  5 ;  raising  of, 

a  vast  industry,  86. 
Silk   rugs,    woven    by    nomads,     70; 

characteristics  of,  86;  from  Khotan, 

very  superior,  87  j  small  demand  for, 

88;  cost  of,  88. 
Sindh  rugs,  quality  of,  68. 
Sinna,  knot,  23;   plate  and  description 

of,  42;   characteristics  of  rugs,  49; 

Khilims  woven  at,  99. 
Sivas,  characteristics  of,  58. 
Skins,  preceded  rugs,  3,  37. 
Smyrna,    produces   best    madder  dye, 

29;  rugs  woven  of  goat's  hair,  53; 

trade  in  Karaman  rugs  at,  54;  mart 

for  sale  of  inferior  rugs,  5  8 ;  Moorish 

rugs  resemble  those  from,  104. 
Soumak,  plate  and  description  of,  12; 

flat  stitch  used  in,  23;  characteristics 

of,  8 1 J  should  be  called  Shemakha, 

81. 
Spain,  Saracens  introduce  rug-weaving 

into,  8;  silk  rug- weaving  introduced 

into,    86;   rug- weaving   brought   to 

America  from,  114. 
Spinning,    references    to,    4;    Jewish 

legend  of,  4. 


Index 


165 


Srinagar,  characteristics  of  rugs  from, 
69. 

St.  Clement,  legend  of,  98. 

St.  Sophia,  Basilica  of,  93. 

Stitches  in  a  Persian  rug,  2 1 ;  different 
stitches  used,  24. 

Sultanabad,  rugs  woven  in,  41 ;  Ameri- 
can firms  have  factories  at,  42; 
quality  of  rugs  woven  at,  50;  silk 
rugs  from,  87. 

Sumac  produces  yellow,  30. 

Switzerland  produces  fine  rugs,  106. 

Symbol,  black  of   error,    32;    white. 


purity,  32;  red,  faith,  32;  yellow, 
brought  evil,  32;  blue,  truth,  32; 
black  and  indigo,  sorrow,  32;  rose, 
divine  wisdom,  3  2 ;  green,  knowledge 
of  most  High,  32;  yellow,  royalty, 
33;  red,  virtue,  33;  white,  mourn- 
ing, 33;  black,  vice,  33;  green, 
holiness,  3  3 ;  in  Navajo  rugs,  115; 
catalogue  of  meanings  of,  122. 
Symbolism    in   color,    32;  in   Kirman 

rug.  47- 
Syrians  weave  Turkish  rugs,  52. 


Tabriz,  plate  and  description  of.  III; 
Karadagh  rugs  made  near,  46 ;  qual- 
ity of  rugs  woven  at,  50. 

Talim,  definition  of,  and  use  of,  28. 

Tehechen  rugs,  characteristics  of,  81. 

Teheran,  fine  Persian  rug  at,  51;  fine 
example  of  silk  rug  at,  87;  exported 
from,  88. 

Tekk6  Turkoman,  characteristics  of, 
74;  utility  of,  74;  plate  and  descrip- 
tion of,  74. 

Thebes,  fresco  at,  5. 

Thibet,  Chinese,  wool  produced  in,  1 9. 

Toledo,  fine  Moorish  rugs  at,  104. 

Tombs  in  Egypt,  testimony  of,  4. 

Transcaucasia,  Constantinople  mart  for 
rugs  from,  52. 

Tree  of  Life,  place  of,  in  Persian  rug, 
6;  in  Kirman  rug,  47;  in  Kashgar 
rugs,  76,  in  prayer  rugs,  95. 

Turfani  wool,  19. 

Turkey,  German  factories  in,  1 3 ;  green 
sacred  color  in,  33;  exports  rugs  to 


Egypt,  38;  principal  rug-manu&c- 
turing  district  in,  52;  each  district 
has  a  different  design,  52;  floors  of 
houses  in,  covered  with  rugs,  53; 
Mosul  rugs  made  in,  56;  cost  of  silk 
rugs  from,  88;  Khilims  woven  in, 
99;  symbolism  of,  129. 

Turkish  rugs,  Canstantinople  great 
mart  for,  52. 

Turkish  knot,  23;  rugs  are  manufac- 
tured by  various  peoples,  52;  not 
so  finely  woven  as  Persian,  5 1 . 

Turkish  Kurdistan,  Khilims  woven  in, 
99. 

Turkoman,  rugs  made  in,  similar  to 
Beluchistans,  72;  characteristics  of, 
73,  76;  made  by  nomad  tribes,  73; 
make  camel's  hair  rugs,  73;  irregu- 
lar designs  in,  73;  silk  rugs  from, 
size  of,  88;  Karminian,  woven  in,99. 

Turmeric  produces  yellow,  30. 

Tyrian  purple,  value  of,  30,  32. 

Tzitzi,  same  as  Tehechen,  80. 


i66 


Index 


U 


United  States,  rug-weaving  by  Orient- 
als in,  9;  power  loom  used  in,  14; 
Agras  popular  in,  66;  Dhurries 
popular  in,  67;  Tekke  Turkoman 
rugs  restored  in,   74;   popularity  of 


Japanese  rugs  in,  91;  Khilims  popu- 
lar in,  100;  rug-weaving  in,  iio. 
Urfa  rugs  woven  at,    from  Persia   or 
Kurdish  territory,  51. 


Vegetable  dyes,  best,  29. 
Vine,   palmettes  and  rosettes  in  Fera- 
ghans,  43. 


Volk,  Mrs.  Douglas,  and  the  Sabatos 
rug,  112. 


w 


Warangal  rug,  quality  of,  68. 
Weavers,    1 5 ;  classes  of,  15;  method 

of  life,  18;  skill  in  Egypt,   37;  in 

Persia  dictated  to  by  foreigners,  43; 

brought  from  Persia  to  India,  63. 
Weaving,  began,  3;  done  in  India  by 

boys  and  men,  15. 
Western    India,    description    of   loom 

used  in,  12. 
Wheeler,   Mrs.  Candace,  mention  of, 

113. 
White,    signified  purity,   32;    used  to 

outline  other  colors,  32;  mourning, 

33;  color  worn  by  student,  33. 
Wilkinson,  Sir  J.  Gardner,  quoted,  5. 
Wilton,  power  loom  used  at,  14. 
Women,  weavers  in  Japan,  1 3 ;  almost 


exclusive  weavers  in  the  Orient,  1 5 ; 
in  Pars,  invent  designs,  26;  without 
class  distinction  weave  in  Persia,  41 ; 
of  Kurdistan  weave  for  their  own 
entertainment,  55;  weave  in  houses 
in  Ouchak,  57;  exclusively  weave 
Sivas,  58;  for  quality  of,  58;  weave 
Tekk6  Turkoman  rugs,  74;  Persians 
weave  finest  prayer  rugs,  94;  weave 
Greek  rugs,  1 24. 

Wool,  its  kinds  and  qualities,  19; 
fashion,  quality  of,  19;  affected  by 
climate,  21;  not  used  in  India,  63, 
mixed  with  silk  effective,  87;  used 
in  Greek  rugs,  104;  in  Abendkec 
rugs,  IIO. 

Worcester,  power  loom  used  at,  1 4. 


X 


Xanthin  from  Rubia,  29. 


Index 


167 


Yarkand  rugs  similar  to  Kashgars,  76. 

Yellow,  produced  from  Rubia,  29; 
from  Persian  berries,  30;  thought  to 
bring  evil,  32;  favorite  color  with 
Persians,  32;  symbol  of  royalty, 
33;  important  color  in  Feraghan 
rugs,  44. 


Yezd,  characteristics  of  rug  from,  5 1 ; 

felt  rugs  woven  at,  97. 
Yomud  Turkoman  rug,    characteristics 

of,  75. 
Yuruk,    characteristics    of,    rug,     59; 

Khilims  woven  at,  99. 


Zeus,  priests  of,  robed  in  white,  32. 


ft 


00 


9^ 


4H- 


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